ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Graffiti/Fly-posting (Merseyside)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions a Merseyside (a) local authority officer, (b) community support officer and (c) person accredited by the Chief Constable has issued a fixed penalty notice for minor graffiti and fly-posting offences.

Hazel Blears: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of fixed penalty notices issued is not held centrally. The power to issue such notices for minor graffiti or fly posting has not been used on Merseyside by Community Support Officers or accredited persons.

Agriculture and Fisheries Council

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome was of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 18–19 October; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary and I represented the United Kingdom at a meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Luxembourg on 18 October 2004. The Scottish Minister for Environment and Rural Development was also present.
	As this was the last Council expected to be attended by Commissioners Franz Fischler and David Byrne, the Council took the opportunity to pay warm tribute to the contribution that they had made during their time in office.
	As to the agenda, the Council responded to a number of key questions arising from a Commission report on the simplification of the common market organisation in fruit and vegetables. I joined several delegations in noting that, while changes to the regime agreed in 1996 have had a positive effect, we need to look constructively at the scope for further changes, including increased flexibility and subsidiarity in the regime. Its impact on developing countries and on the Doha Development Agenda would also be important factors. We should be wary of further intervention in the market but we could look at the scope for promotion of fruit and vegetable consumption. The Commission will reflect upon the exchanges before tabling any proposals for further reform. Discussion will resume at official level.
	The Council took note, without discussion, of discussions on the European Action Plan for Organic Food and Farming and agreed conclusions supporting a range of further actions.
	On fisheries, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary emphasised the importance of consistent and effective enforcement of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), and welcomed the proposal for a Community Fisheries Control Agency. However, he emphasised that the Agency should act in a co-ordinating, not instructing role; that it should build on work to develop a regional input to the CFP; and that it should be cost neutral. Many delegations made similar points. Discussion will continue between officials.
	The Council held an initial exchange of views in preparation for this year's negotiation on a fisheries agreement with Norway. My hon. Friend made clear the high priority the United Kingdom attaches to ensuring that the EU has access to the full amount of Arctic cod quota it is entitled to under the terms of the EEA Agreement, and identifying stocks that the EU can offer Norway in exchange without making use of mackerel which is a fully utilised quota stock. There was general agreement that the Commission needed to take a robust line with Norway. Further preparations for the negotiation will be taken forward by officials.
	The Council held a policy debate on Commission proposals for recovery plans for hake and Norway lobster in the Cantabrian Sea and for sole stocks in the Western English Channel and Bay of Biscay. My hon. Friend made clear the United Kingdom's commitment to sustainable management of western Channel sole which is an important stock for fishermen in south-west England, but that we do not believe western Channel sole should be a recovery stock or that the Commission's effort control proposals are appropriate. He drew attention to the advice on this stock delivered by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) in August which suggests that this stock is less likely to be outside safe limits than other sole stocks, confirming the results of collaborative research carried out with commercial fishing vessels in the south-west. He called for inconsistencies between this advice and the most recent ICES draft advice to be clarified urgently. Other member states expressed a range of views on the recovery plan proposals. Discussions will continue among officials.
	The Commission reported on the state of play on a number of important trade negotiations. On the WTO, Commissioner Fischler welcomed the framework agreement reached in Geneva in the summer as a basis for continued detailed negotiations which safeguard essential European interests. He also reported on the continuing attempts to make progress in the EU/Mercosur negotiations; on work to agree a tariff-only arrangement for reform of the banana regime; and on resolving outstanding negotiations with certain third country suppliers of rice. Among a long list of many other business items, I and several others supported a Danish request to consider how best to include low fat dairy products in the school milk programme. Several, mostly central European, member states drew attention to the problems on the EU cereals market following this year's harvest. Other matters raised were: the impact of the US Bio-terrorism Act, implementation of the reformed CAP in Denmark, state aid for weather damage in Lithuania, the co-existence of GMO and other crops, the impact on fishing of increased diesel prices in France and the EU/Angola Fisheries Agreement. The Commission tabled a written report on continuing BSE control measures. France reported on its action to deal with a recent case of rabies in an imported dog. Spain reported an outbreak of blue tongue disease in cattle in southern Spain and drew attention to a forthcoming conference on plant genetic resources.

Aircraft Emissions

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what basis noise measurements will be taken to draw up a noise map for Heathrow.

Alun Michael: Details of the proposed options will be put out to public consultation in due course. As yet, no decision has been taken as to who will be the competent authorities for the production of strategic noise maps for airports under Directive 2002/49/EC on the assessment and management of environmental noise (the Environmental Noise Directive), or the methodology to be used.
	The pilot project to map Heathrow in terms of the noise indicator Lden and the annual daytime contours produced for the DfT are produced using the calculation model, ANCON. This model is validated from empirical noise measurements for the various aircraft types included in the model.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Department for Trade and Industry on its target for greenhouse gas emissions; and which is the lead Department in setting those targets.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 2 November 2004
	The Spending Review 2004 reconfirmed the UK's targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 12.5 per cent. below 1990 levels in line with our Kyoto commitment and to move towards a 20 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions below 1990 levels by 2010. These Public Sector Agreement (PSA) targets are shared jointly with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for Transport. The Government also announced in last year's Energy White Paper that we would put ourselves on a path to cut our carbon dioxide emissions by some 60 per cent. by 2050.
	The UK Climate Change Programme published in 2000 sets out the Government's approach to tackling climate change. It contains a framework of policies and measures intended to achieve the emissions reductions necessary to deliver the UK's commitment under the Kyoto Protocol and move towards the 20 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Progress towards the Kyoto Protocol commitment and national goals are discussed by Ministers regularly, in particular through the Sustainable Energy Policy Network, whose ministerial group oversees the delivery of the Energy White Paper commitments. The group is jointly chaired by my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her latest estimate is of total UK tonnage of carbon dioxide emissions; what proportion is produced by (a) aircraft transport, (b) road and rail transport and shipping in territorial waters, (c) coal burned in power stations, (d) oil burned in (i) power stations, (ii) domestic heating and (iii) industrial heating, (e) gas burned in (A) power stations, (B) domestic heating and (C) industrial heating, (f) orimulsion/shale oil burned in power stations and (g) industry, broken down by sector.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 2 November 2004
	Total emission estimates of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in the UK in 2002 were 550,965,312 tonnes. The following table shows the proportion of these emissions that occurred from the sources listed. Figures quoted for oil and gas burnt by both the industrial and domestic sectors are total fuel figures for each sector, as it is not possible to disaggregate emissions to display heating only.
	Orimulsion has not been burnt by any sector since 1997.
	
		
			  Source Fuel Percentage UK total CO 2  emissions in 2002 
		
		
			 (a) Aircraft transport All fuels used in category 0.5 
			 (b) Road transport All fuels used in category 21 
			 (b) Rail transport All fuels used in category 0.2 
			 (b) Shipping All fuels used in category 0.3 
			 (c) Power Stations Coal 18 
			 (d)(i) Power stations Oil 0.4 
			 (d)(ii) Industry Oil 2.4 
			 (d)(iii) Domestic Oil 0.002 
			 (e)(A) Power Stations Gas 10 
			 (e)(B) Domestic Gas 13 
			 (e)(C) Industry Gas 9

CITES Import Permits

Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what safeguards there are to ensure that primates imported into the UK under Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species regulations are kept by people who have sufficient knowledge to care for and house the animals.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 8 November 2004
	A CITES import permit may only be issued when certain conditions have been met. One of the conditions is that the scientific authority must be satisfied that the intended accommodation for an Annex A specimen (great apes, chimpanzees etc) at the place of destination is adequately equipped to conserve and care for it properly. For Annex B specimens (most other primates) documentary evidence that the accommodation is suitable must be provided.

Departmental Expenditure

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will break down the budget set by her Department for public expenditure on wildlife, countryside and better regulation for financial years (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06 by programme.

Alun Michael: The Department's plans for public expenditure on wildlife, countryside and better regulation for the two years 2004–05 and 2005–06 consist of the following programmes:
	
		£ million
		
			 Programme 2004–05 2005–06 
		
		
			 Rural Support Services 15.7 20.1 
			 English Nature 69.5 71.4 
			 National Forest Company 2.9 2.9 
			 Landscape Protection, Recreation and  Public Access 10.2 15.0 
			 National Parks and Broads Authority 28.3 28.2 
			 Wildlife and Biodiversity Promotion 5.4 10.4 
			 Total 132.0 148.0

Departmental Expenditure

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will break down the budget set by her Department for public expenditure by the Rural Payments Agency on (a) the Over-Thirty Month Scheme, (b) direct payments under the Common Agricultural Policy and (c) other schemes for the financial years (i) 2004–05 and (ii) 2005–06 by scheme.

Alun Michael: The current budget allocation that has been set by Defra for the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) for the 2004–05 financial year is as follows.
	(a) Over-Thirty Month Scheme—£300 million
	(b) Direct payments under the Common Agricultural Policy—£1,792 million
	(c) Other schemes 1 —£167million
	The public expenditure for the RPA for the 2005–06 financial year is under consideration. The expenditure figures are before any reimbursement by the European Union.
	1 Other schemes total includes the following main schemes:
	England Rural Development—£124 million
	Structural Funds (European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund Guidance)—£27 million
	Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Surveillance—£15 million

Hydrofluorocarbons

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress on her policies and measures for reducing HFC emissions as outlined in paragraphs 72–76, section two, chapter four of Climate Change—the UK Programme (November 2000).

Elliot Morley: holding answer 8 November 2004
	Good progress has been made in developing effective measures to reduce HFC emissions. Political agreement to an EC regulation on certain fluorinated greenhouse gases, and a directive amending Existing Vehicle Type Approval in relation to Mobile Air Conditioning (MAC) in cars was reached in October 2004.
	The regulation includes measures on: containment through responsible handling during use, recycling and end-of-life recovery; reporting on quantities produced, supplied, used and emitted; certain application specific bans on use and placing on the market. The directive includes a ban on the use of fluorinated gases with high Global Warming Potential (GWP) in MACs from 2011 (new vehicle types) and 2017 (all new vehicles).

Jubilee River

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the conclusions of the Atkins report into the construction of the Jubilee River; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 2 November 2004
	Operational responsibility, including the planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation of the Jubilee River rests with the Environment Agency (EA).
	I am advised that all independent reports so far, including the Atkins report, confirm that the effect of the operation of the Jubilee River on downstream water levels during flood events is minimal. The EA advise that the Atkins report recommended further investigations and survey work, particularly regarding the height of the river banks and further monitoring of flows while the scheme is being operated.
	I understand that as a result of the report the EA will conduct surveys prior to consideration of further works to improve capacity.

Landfill

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with waste disposal authorities on the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme; and what contingency plans she has put in place if local authorities fail to reduce landfill by their targets.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 2 November 2004
	Ministers and officials in Defra have had extensive discussions with local authorities on the Landfill Allowances Trading Scheme ranging from bilateral meetings with individual councils through to regional roadshows aimed at all local authorities. In addition, local authority representatives sit on the Landfill Allowances Trading Scheme stakeholders group that discuses all issues in respect of the scheme.
	If local authorities fail to meet their landfill reduction targets the draft Regulations laid before this House on 13 October make provision for financial penalties. Local authorities are being encouraged to make full use of the flexibilities built into the Landfill Allowances Trading Scheme to avoid exceeding their allowances.

Landfill

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to review the level of fines to be levied as a result of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme Regulations 2004.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 2 November 2004
	The draft Regulations laid before this House on 16 October 2004 set the penalty at £200 per tonne. This represents the most expensive option available to local authorities taking account of the marginal cost of landfill compared with the most expensive diversion option. Government will keep the level of penalties under review, taking account of changes in marginal costs or other factors. A full review of the operation of the scheme, including penalty levels, is planned for 2007.

Water Bills

David Heyes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will replace current arrangements for assisting water customers who have difficulty paying their bills with payments through the benefits and tax credit system.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 8 November 2004
	A cross-Government steering group is reviewing the way in which lower income households are helped with their water and sewerage charges, in discussion with a range of stakeholders. A report will be published by the end of the year.

Refrigerators

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 September 2004, Official Report, column 1676W, to the hon. Member for Guildford (Sue Doughty), on refrigerators, what measures she has taken to prevent the loss of ozone depleting substances from refrigerators during their working life.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 14 October 2004
	EC Regulation 2037/2000 includes a requirement to take all precautionary measures that are practicable to prevent and minimise leakages of ozone depleting substances. This includes checking fixed equipment with a refrigerating fluid charge of more than 3 kg annually for leakages.
	Domestic and small commercial refrigerators are manufactured with hermetic seals and so are designed not to leak.

Poaching

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) arrests, (b) prosecutions and (c) convictions there have been under the (i) Hares Act 1848, (ii) Night Poaching Act 1828, (iii) Game Act 1831, (iv) Game Licences Act 1860, (v) Ground Game Act 1880 and (vi) Deer Act 1991 in the last 30 years.

Paul Goggins: I have been asked to reply.
	Information collected centrally on arrests is available only by main offence group for "notifiable offences" and does not extend to individual offence level.
	The information contained in the table gives the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under the: (i) Hares Act 1848, (ii) Night Poaching Act 1828, (iii) Game Act 1831, (iv) Game Licences Act 1860, (v) Ground Game Act 1880 and (vi) Deer Act 1991, England and Wales 1983 to 2002. Data for these offences prior to 1983 is not available on the Home Office Court Proceedings database.
	Statistics for 2003 will be published on 18 November.
	
		Number of defendants proceeded against and found guilty at all courts for certain offences, England and Wales, 1983 to 2002(1)
		
			   1983 1984 1985 
			 Offence description Principal statute Proceeded against Found  guilty Proceeded against Found  guilty Proceeded against Found  guilty 
		
		
			 Selling hares out of season Hares Preservation Act 1892, Section 2 — — — — — — 
			 Taking or destroying game or rabbits on lands etc. by night or entering lands at night to take or destroy game Night Poaching Act 1828, Section 1 342 304 414 373 368 325 
			 Dealer or other person having game in possession out of season Game Act 1831 section 4 as amended by the Game Act 1970 27 25 8 8 8 7 
			 Sale of game by persons not licensed to kill or sell game Game Act 1831, Section 25 3 3 7 3 1 1 
			 Private individuals etc. buying game from persons not licensed as dealers Game Act 1831, Section 27 as amended by the Game Act 1970 — — — — — — 
			 Dealer buying game from unlicensed person Game Act 1831, Section 28 — — — — — — 
			 Laying poison to destroy or injure game, killing game illegally, killing or taking without certificate, taking or destroying the eggs of game, wild fowl etc. or having eggs so taken in possession Game Act 1831, Sections 3, 12, 23 and 24 149 133 104 89 83 70 
			 Offences against game laws Game Licences Act 1860 172 170 150 146 143 135 
			 Killing ground game by night or with poison Ground Game act 1880, Section 6 3 2 4 3 — — 
			 Offence against killing or injury to deer by shooting, trap, snares etc. Deer Act 1991 (replaces provisions under Deer Act 1963 and Deer Act 1980) 51 38 30 26 33 24 
			 Total  747 675 717 648 636 562 
		
	
	
		
		
			   1986 1987 1988 
			 Offence description Principal statute Proceeded against Found  guilty Proceeded against Found  guilty Proceeded against Found  guilty 
		
		
			 Selling hares out of season Hares Preservation Act 1892, Section 2 — — — — — — 
			 Taking or destroying game or rabbits on lands etc. by night or entering lands at night to take or destroy game Night Poaching Act 1828, Section 1 341 303 324 294 336 285 
			 Dealer or other person having game in possession out of season Game Act 1831 section 4 as amended by the Game Act 1970 11 11 6 4 5 5 
			 Sale of game by persons not licensed to kill or sell game Game Act 1831, Section 25 — — 3 3 — — 
			 Private individuals etc. buying game from persons not licensed as dealers Game Act 1831, Section 27 as amended by the Game Act 1970 — — — — — — 
			 Dealer buying game from unlicensed person Game Act 1831, Section 28 — — — — 1 1 
			 Laying poison to destroy or injure game, killing game illegally, killing or taking without certificate, taking or destroying the eggs of game, wild fowl etc. or having eggs so taken in possession Game Act 1831, Sections 3, 12, 23 and 24 66 59 72 58 75 64 
			 Offences against game laws Game Licences Act 1860 100 90 64 61 61 60 
			 Killing ground game by night or with poison Ground Game act 1880, Section 6 2 — 1 1 1 1 
			 Offence against killing or injury to deer by shooting, trap, snares etc. Deer Act 1991 (replaces provisions under Deer Act 1963 and Deer Act 1980) 26 22 35 22 24 22 
			 Total  546 485 505 443 503 438 
		
	
	
		
		
			   1989 1990 1991 
			 Offence description Principal statute Proceeded against Found  guilty Proceeded against Found  guilty Proceeded against Found  guilty 
		
		
			 Selling hares out of season Hares Preservation Act 1892, Section 2 — — — — — — 
			 Taking or destroying game or rabbits on lands etc. by night or entering lands at night to take or destroy game Night Poaching Act 1828, Section 1 389 332 278 213 269 211 
			 Dealer or other person having game in possession out of season Game Act 1831 section 4 as amended by the Game Act 1970 3 3 10 9 3 3 
			 Sale of game by persons not licensed to kill or sell game Game Act 1831, Section 25 — — 2 2 1 1 
			 Private individuals etc. buying game from persons not licensed as dealers Game Act 1831, Section 27 as amended by the Game Act 1970 1 1 — — — — 
			 Dealer buying game from unlicensed person Game Act 1831, Section 28 — — — — — — 
			 Laying poison to destroy or injure game, killing game illegally, killing or taking without certificate, taking or destroying the eggs of game, wild fowl etc. or having eggs so taken in possession Game Act 1831, Sections 3, 12, 23 and 24 77 66 81 68 50 29 
			 Offences against game laws Game Licences Act 1860 76 70 86 66 76 65 
			 Killing ground game by night or with poison Ground Game act 1880, Section 6 2 2 — — — — 
			 Offence against killing or injury to deer by shooting, trap, snares etc. Deer Act 1991 (replaces provisions under Deer Act 1963 and Deer Act 1980) 34 25 19 15 11 6 
			 Total  582 499 476 373 410 315 
		
	
	
		
		
			   1992 1993 1994 
			 Offence description Principal statute Proceeded against Found  guilty Proceeded against Found  guilty Proceeded against Found  guilty 
		
		
			 Selling hares out of season Hares Preservation Act 1892, Section 2 — — — — — — 
			 Taking or destroying game or rabbits on lands etc. by night or entering lands at night to take or destroy game Night Poaching Act 1828, Section 1 206 154 181 147 157 122 
			 Dealer or other person having game in possession out of season Game Act 1831 section 4 as amended by the Game Act 1970 1 — 3 3 8 7 
			 Sale of game by persons not licensed to kill or sell game Game Act 1831, Section 25 2 2 — — — — 
			 Private individuals etc. buying game from persons not licensed as dealers Game Act 1831, Section 27 as amended by the Game Act 1970 — — 1 1 — — 
			 Dealer buying game from unlicensed person Game Act 1831, Section 28 — — — — — — 
			 Laying poison to destroy or injure game, killing game illegally, killing or taking without certificate, taking or destroying the eggs of game, wild fowl etc. or having eggs so taken in possession Game Act 1831, Sections 3, 12, 23 and 24 38 24 73 54 27 22 
			 Offences against game laws Game Licences Act 1860 70 64 24 20 17 16 
			 Killing ground game by night or with poison Ground Game act 1880, Section 6 4 1 — — — — 
			 Offence against killing or injury to deer by shooting, trap, snares etc. Deer Act 1991 (replaces provisions under Deer Act 1963 and Deer Act 1980) 27 22 13 7 21 7 
			 Total  348 267 295 232 230 174 
		
	
	
		
		
			   1995 1996 1997 
			 Offence description Principal statute Proceeded against Found  guilty Proceeded against Found  guilty Proceeded against Found  guilty 
		
		
			 Selling hares out of season Hares Preservation Act 1892, Section 2 — — — — — — 
			 Taking or destroying game or rabbits on lands etc. by night or entering lands at night to take or destroy game Night Poaching Act 1828, Section 1 137 108 98 81 69 42 
			 Dealer or other person having game in possession out of season Game Act 1831 section 4 as amended by the Game Act 1970 2 2 3 3 3 — 
			 Sale of game by persons not licensed to kill or sell game Game Act 1831, Section 25 — — 1 1 — — 
			 Private individuals etc. buying game from persons not licensed as dealers Game Act 1831, Section 27 as amended by the Game Act 1970 1 1 — — — — 
			 Dealer buying game from unlicensed person Game Act 1831, Section 28 — — — — — — 
			 Laying poison to destroy or injure game, killing game illegally, killing or taking without certificate, taking or destroying the eggs of game, wild fowl etc. or having eggs so taken in possession Game Act 1831, Sections 3, 12, 23 and 24 19 14 22 22 21 19 
			 Offences against game laws Game Licences Act 1860 11 9 5 4 13 10 
			 Killing ground game by night or with poison Ground Game act 1880, Section 6 — — — — — — 
			 Offence against killing or injury to deer by shooting, trap, snares etc. Deer Act 1991 (replaces provisions under Deer Act 1963 and Deer Act 1980) 10 6 14 9 20 10 
			 Total  180 140 143 120 126 81 
		
	
	
		
		
			   1998 1999 2000(2) 
			 Offence description Principal statute Proceeded against Found  guilty Proceeded against Found  guilty Proceeded against Found  guilty 
		
		
			 Selling hares out of season Hares Preservation Act 1892, Section 2 — — — — — — 
			 Taking or destroying game or rabbits on lands etc. by night or entering lands at night to take or destroy game Night Poaching Act 1828, Section 1 70 52 62 42 48 36 
			 Dealer or other person having game in possession out of season Game Act 1831 section 4 as amended by the Game Act 1970 17 16 6 6 2 2 
			 Sale of game by persons not licensed to kill or sell game Game Act 1831, Section 25 — — — — — — 
			 Private individuals etc. buying game from persons not licensed as dealers Game Act 1831, Section 27 as amended by the Game Act 1970 — — — — 2 1 
			 Dealer buying game from unlicensed person Game Act 1831, Section 28 — — — — — — 
			 Laying poison to destroy or injure game, killing game illegally, killing or taking without certificate, taking or destroying the eggs of game, wild fowl etc. or having eggs so taken in possession Game Act 1831, Sections 3, 12, 23 and 24 20 14 25 20 9 7 
			 Offences against game laws Game Licences Act 1860 6 5 4 3 8 5 
			 Killing ground game by night or with poison Ground Game act 1880, Section 6 1 1 — — — — 
			 Offence against killing or injury to deer by shooting, trap, snares etc. Deer Act 1991 (replaces provisions under Deer Act 1963 and Deer Act 1980) 14 9 4 — 5 2 
			 Total  128 97 101 71 74 53 
		
	
	
		
			   2001 2002 
			 Offence description Principal statute Proceeded against Found  guilty Proceeded against Found  guilty 
		
		
			 Selling hares out of season Hares Preservation Act 1892, Section 2 — — — — 
			 Taking or destroying game or rabbits on lands etc. by night or entering lands at night to take or destroy game Night Poaching Act 1828, Section 1 7 3 28 15 
			 Dealer or other person having game in possession out of season Game Act 1831 section 4 as amended by the Game Act 1970 1 1 1 1 
			 Sale of game by persons not licensed to kill or sell game Game Act 1831, Section 25 — — 8 8 
			 Private individuals etc. buying game from persons not licensed as dealers Game Act 1831, Section 27 as amended by the Game Act 1970 — — — — 
			 Dealer buying game from unlicensed person Game Act 1831, Section 28 — — — — 
			 Laying poison to destroy or injure game, killing game illegally, killing or taking without certificate, taking or destroying the eggs of game, wild fowl etc. or having eggs so taken in possession Game Act 1831, Sections 3, 12, 23 and 24 7 7 7 4 
			 Offences against game laws Game Licences Act 1860 7 6 2 1 
			 Killing ground game by night or with poison Ground Game act 1880, Section 6 — — — — 
			 Offence against killing or injury to deer by shooting, trap, snares etc. Deer Act 1991 (replaces provisions under Deer Act 1963 and Deer Act 1980) 6 6 5 1 
			 Total  28 23 51 30 
		
	
	(1) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(2) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.

Private Finance Initiative

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the private finance initiative arrangements in which the Department is engaged; what the total cost of each arrangement is (a) over its lifetime and (b) in each year of its operation; and how the arrangement appears in the Department's public accounts.

Alun Michael: The Department is engaged in three private finance contracts.
	The Environment Agency, which is a non-departmental body of Defra, has let two public/private partnership contracts for flood risk management— (i) the Broadland Flood Alleviation Scheme in Norfolk and (ii) the Pevensey Bay Sea Defences in Sussex. Costs shown in the table are actual up to 2003–04 and estimates thereafter.
	The Department has also agreed a private finance contract with Kajima plc for its offices at (iii) Brooklands Avenue, Cambridge. The site is shared and the contracted annual costs are apportioned between the site's occupants. Defra's accounts reflect the share of costs estimated to fall on the Department; the table shows the total contract costs.
	
		£000
		
			  i. Broadland ii. Pevensey iii. Cambridge 
		
		
			 (a) Totals 141,882 31,698 149,020 
			 
			 (b) Annual Cost  
			 2000–01 — 1,136 — 
			 2001–02 1,979 1,358 — 
			 2002–03 1,972 1,480 20 
			 2003–04 4,948 1,734 3,400 
			 2004–05 10,676 1,822 3,600 
			 2005–06 5,804 1,810 3,600 
			 2006–07 7,513 1,787 3,700 
			 2007–08 6,878 1,754 3,700 
			 2008–09 11,855 1,746 4,100 
			 2009–10 13,856 1,741 4,100 
			 2010–11 8,275 1,736 4,200 
			 2011–12 14,070 1,077 4,200 
			 2012–13 11,748 946 4,300 
			 2013–14 8,331 946 4,700 
			 2014–15 4,565 946 4,700 
			 2015–16 4,671 946 4,800 
			 2016–17 4,743 946 4,800 
			 2017–18 4,723 946 4,900 
			 2018–19 5,189 946 5,400 
			 2019–20 4,811 946 5,400 
			 2020–21 4,528 946 5,600 
			 2021–22 747 946 5,700 
			 2022–23 — 946 5,700 
			 2023–24 — 946 6,300 
			 2024–25 — 946 6,300 
			 2025–26 — 219 6,400 
			 2026–27 — — 6,500 
			 2027–28 — — 6,500 
			 2028–29 — — 6,500 
			 2029–30 — — 6,500 
			 2030–31 — — 6,700 
			 2031–32 — — 6,700 
		
	
	In determining the accounting treatment of PFI arrangements, the Department's Resource Accounts follow United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, including Financial Reporting Standards (FRSs) issued by the Accounting Standards Board (ASB). The specific guidance issued by the ASB for accounting for PFI is "Application Note F to FRS 5—Private Finance Initiative and Similar Contracts", as supplemented by the Treasury-issued "Technical Note No. 1 (Revised)—How to Account for PFI transactions".
	The Department has also supported a number of PFI/PPP contracts which are not reportable in the Defra Resource Accounts, including infrastructure developments by British Waterways, the "SPIRIT" IT systems used by the Countryside Agency, and waste management schemes operated by the following local authorities:
	Isle of Wight CC
	Kirklees MBC
	Hereford and Worcester CC
	South Gloucestershire DC
	Surrey CC
	Leicester City
	East London Waste Authority (partnership)
	East Sussex and Brighton and Hove.
	These are noted here for completeness but information on these contracts is not held centrally by the Department and is reported separately by the contracting bodies.

PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Contracts

Pete Wishart: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will list the 30 largest contracts awarded by his Office between (a) May 2001 and April 2002, (b) May 2002 and April 2003, (c) May 2003 and April 2004 and (d) May 2004 and the latest date for which figures are available, indicating in each case (i) the values of the contracts and (ii) the companies with which the contracts were placed;
	(2)  which non-accounting and non-information technology external organisations which had previously held contracts with his Office (a) won new contracts at the culmination of the existing contracts and (b) won new contracts after a period of inactivity with his Office in each of the past four years;
	(3)  which non-accounting and non-information technology external organisations have won new contracts with his Department in each of the past three years.

Tony Blair: For these purposes my Office is part of the Cabinet Office. The specific information requested cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.

Gambling

Don Foster: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the occasions on which he has met representatives of (a) US casino operators, (b) British casino operators and (c) casino operators from other countries to discuss gambling issues, broken down by date of meeting.

Tony Blair: As my official spokesman made clear on Monday 1 November 2004, I have not had any meetings with the industry in connection with the Gambling Bill.
	Since the publication of the report of the Gambling Review Body (Cm 5206) in July 2001, officials have undertaken an extensive programme of consultations with interested bodies about options and proposals for changes to gambling law in Great Britain. There have been two formal consultations, the first on the Review Body's report and the second on the draft clauses published for pre-legislative scrutiny in November 2003. In addition to these consultations, officials have corresponded with and met individual companies, trade associations, charities and other bodies concerned with the problem gambling or who benefit from lotteries, local authorities, trade unions, law enforcement agencies, academics and many other public bodies and individuals, including members of the public with an interest. These contacts, designed to ensure that the Government's policy proposals are sound and take full account of all relevant benefits, cost and risks, have involved both Ministers and officials. All meetings were undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.

Gambling

James Gray: To ask the Prime Minister what contacts Mr.William Perrin of the Number 10 Policy Unit has had with companies involved in the (a) British and (b) US gaming industry in the past 24 months; and whether he has undertaken fact-finding visits in the United States in the company of employees of the (i) British and (ii) US gaming industry.

Tony Blair: holding answer 1 November
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him, the hon. Member for Bromsgrove (Miss Kirkbride), and my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 28 October, Official Report, column 1392W.
	Since the publication of the report of the Gambling Review Body (Cm 5206) in July 2001, officials have undertaken an extensive programme of consultations with interested bodies about options and proposals for changes to gambling law in Great Britain. There have been two formal consultations, the first on the Review Body's report and the second on the draft clauses published for pre-legislative scrutiny in November 2003. In addition to these consultations, officials have corresponded with and met individual companies, trade associations, charities and other bodies concerned with the problem gambling or who benefit from lotteries, local authorities, trade unions, law enforcement agencies, academics and many other public bodies and individuals, including members of public with an interest. These contacts, designed to ensure that the Government's policy proposals are sound and take full account of all relevant benefits, cost and risks, have involved both Ministers and officials. All meetings were undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.

Iraq

Paul Marsden: To ask the Prime Minister what records were kept of discussions with President Bush on the timing of going to war with Iraq during his visit to the US commencing on 7 September 2002.

Tony Blair: Records of ministerial discussions and meetings are maintained in accordance with Cabinet Office Records.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer from the Solicitor-General of 26 October 2004, Official Report, columns 1104–05W, on Iraq, what sources he used to make his assessment of whether Iraq (a) made false statements or omissions in its declarations and (b) complied with and co-operated with the terms of UN Resolution 1441; which omissions and false statements in Iraq's declaration of December 2002 which he considered to be fact at the time (i) have been confirmed and (ii) have not been confirmed subsequently as fact; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer my hon. Friend to paragraph 385 of the report of the Butler Review of Intelligence on Weapons of Mass Destruction (HC898).

Pacific Islands

David Marshall: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Prime Minister of New Zealand on the possibility of sharing diplomatic premises on the Pacific Islands; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I have discussions on a wide range of issues with the Prime Minister of New Zealand. As with previous Administrations, it is not the practice of this Government to make public details of discussions I have with foreign Governments.

Russia

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Prime Minister what recent discussions he has held with the Russian Government on (a) terrorism and (b) Chechnya.

Tony Blair: I regularly discuss a wide range of issues with President Putin. As with previous Administrations, it is not the practice of this Government to make public details of discussions I have with foreign Governments.

ADVOCATE-GENERAL

Scottish Human Rights Commission

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Advocate-General what discussions she has had with Scottish Ministers in relation to potential overlap with reserved matters in the establishment of a Scottish Human Rights Commission.

Lynda Clark: I have had no discussions with the Scottish Ministers regarding potential overlap with reserved matters in the establishment of a Scottish Human Rights Commission. My role is to give legal advice when appropriate.
	Policy discussions on reserved matters relating to the creation of a Scottish Human Rights Commission are for the Scottish Executive Ministers, the Department for Constitutional Affairs and Department of Trade and Industry.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Staff

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of the staff of the Department in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003 were people with disabilities.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on 9 November 2004, Official Report, column 619W.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Iraq

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Iraq.

Hilary Benn: Iraqi ministries, United Nations agencies, the Red Cross and Red Crescent, and Iraqi NGOs and citizens are providing emergency humanitarian assistance where people are affected by fighting. An Emergency Working Group has been established to coordinate these efforts.
	DFID has committed £333 million to humanitarian assistance and reconstruction in Iraq since March 2003, contributing towards the progress that has been made in restoring essential services, delivering food rations, reopening hospitals and schools and beginning the process of longer-term reconstruction.

Iraq

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much UK spending on Iraqi reconstruction has been incurred to date; and how much is planned for the remainder of the current financial year.

Hilary Benn: Since March 2003 DFID has spent £113 million on humanitarian assistance and £127 million on reconstruction in Iraq. An additional £17 million had been allocated for Iraq from the joint DFID, FCO and MOD Global Conflict Prevention Pool (the GCPP). The MOD has spent around £20 million on Quick Impact Projects in Iraq. These projects, intended for immediate local effect, are primarily used as a means of creating an environment in troops can operate safely.
	Present plans are to spend a further £67 million this financial year on reconstruction and £7 million from the GCPP.

Iraq

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of households in Iraq have clean potable water supplied to them.

Hilary Benn: Estimates suggest that immediately after the 2003 conflict, 60 per cent. of urban and 30 per cent. of rural populations had access to safe water. Considerable work has taken place since May 2003 to improve the quality, quantity and reliability of water supplies.
	In Basra the water supply system is now better than before the 2003 conflict. Informal estimates by the former Coalition Provisional Authority indicated that in southern Iraq water supply coverage increased by 10–15 per cent. from May 2003 to July 2004. Further work on restoring water treatment plants has continued since July. In Baghdad, specialists from the USA are working with local government officials to improve water treatment throughout the city. Drinking water is also supplied by bottle and from tankers.

Afghanistan

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on independent research on Afghanistan since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID has spent £2,222,905 on research undertaken by independent organisations in Afghanistan since September 2001. This has included research into food security, alternatives to poppy production, private sector development and analysis of the budget and budgetary process.
	The results of this research have been shared with the Afghan Government, international donor community and non-governmental organisations working in Afghanistan and is helping to shape development policy and practice.

Afghanistan

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development he will make a statement on humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: In common with many donors, DFID is now focusing the majority of it's support to Afghanistan on reconstruction efforts, however we continue to make funds available for humanitarian assistance. In the current financial year DFID has made £3 million specifically available for humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan. Our main focus is assistance to refugees and Internally Displaced Persons; both in their temporary accommodation and to assist them in their return home, and to this end we will be providing £2.5 million to the UNHCR and £0.5 million to the International Organisation for Migration.
	In addition to planned assistance, we continue to monitor the on-going humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. DFID have recently made a further £3 million available for drought-affected areas in the south and west of the country, following the recent appeal from the Afghan Government and UN agencies.

Nigeria

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the level of aid given to Nigeria in 2003–04.

Hilary Benn: In 2003–04, DFID's aid to Nigeria was around £32 million. The EC (to which DFID contributes) gave about £9 million.
	Nigeria is making good progress: The economic team put in place by President Obasanjo is vigorously pursuing reform: Nigeria recently launched a strategy for poverty reduction; is fighting corruption; and it has implemented sound macro-economic policies.
	Support is critical to sustain this momentum, and Nigeria is severely under-aided. It receives only $1–2 per capita in aid compared with a Sub-Saharan average of $21. We are therefore doubling our aid to £70 million in 2005–06, and supporting a sustainable solution to Nigeria's debt problems.

European Constitution

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the consequences of the proposed European Constitution on the executive powers and responsibilities of his Department.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The new Constitutional Treaty does not have any direct impact on DFID's role and responsibilities in the field of development cooperation. The Treaty reconfirms development cooperation as an area of shared competence between the Union and its member states.
	We welcome the fact that the new Treaty gives strong prominence to poverty reduction as the main aim of its development actions, and to the principle of better coherence between the Union's external policies and its development policies.

East Africa

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his assessment is of the contribution being made by faith-based NGOs in tackling housing and poverty issues in east Africa.

Hilary Benn: Faith-based organisations play an important role in East Africa, both in rural and urban areas. In informal settlements they often provide leadership to enable slum dwellers to organise themselves in dealing with concerns over land, infrastructure and services. This sometimes brings them into conflict with municipal authorities and vested interests. The poor have limited access to resources and services, and the support and voice offered by faith-based organisations is highly valued.

Palestinian Territories

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on his Department's work in the Palestinian territories.

Hilary Benn: DFID is working with partners to help end conflict and create a viable Palestinian state that will reduce poverty. A Country Assistance Plan for Palestinians, published in July, provides a comprehensive statement of DFID's planned work in the Palestinian Territory over the next two years. Its central themes are enhancing the prospects for peace, promoting better Palestinian governance institutions and systems and making international aid and development assistance more effective.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects his Department is supporting in Burma.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: We are currently supporting the following projects in Burma: Health Unlimited's work to enhance basic health care of Kachin and Wa refugees; the United Nations Development Programme Joint Programme for HIV/AIDS; the Burmese Border Consortium Relief Programme; the International Committee of the Red Cross; and the BBC World Service Trust Drama Project on HIV/AIDS.
	Our total bilateral expenditure during the current financial year is expected to be £6.4 million.

Aid Budget

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of the UK's GNP has been spent on the international aid budget in each year since 1997 for which figures are available.

Hilary Benn: The percentage of the UK's Gross National Income (GNI) spent on official development assistance (ODA) in each year from 1997 to 2003 is shown in the following table.
	
		UK ODA as percentage of GNI: 1997 to 2003
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 1997 0.26 
			 1998 0.27 
			 1999 0.24 
			 2000 0.32 
			 2001 0.32 
			 2002 0.31 
			 2003 0.34 
		
	
	Note:
	We have used GNI rather than GNP because the new system of National Accounts (SNA 1993) co-sponsored by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) and other major international organisations broadened the coverage of Gross National Product and it was renamed Gross National Income.
	Source:
	Statistics in International Development 2004, Table 16.1

TREASURY

Cancer

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the latest five year survival rate is for (a) prostate cancer and (b) breast cancer in (i) the Hemsworth constituency, (ii) the Wakefield area and (iii) England are; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Jon Trickett, dated 10 November 2004
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the latest available figures of five year survival for (a) prostate cancer and (b) breast cancer in (i) Hemsworth constituency, (ii) the Wakefield area and (iii) and England. I am replying in his absence.
	The latest available survival statistics for prostate cancer and breast cancer at the sub-national level are for patients 1 diagnosed during 1994–96 and followed up to 31 December 2001. These data are available for West Yorkshire strategic health authority, which contains Wakefield West and Eastern Wakefield primary care trusts. Data are not available for the Hemsworth constituency.
	
		Five-year age standardised relative survival (%) for patients(3) diagnosed in 1994–96 and followed up to 31 December 2001: Wakefield strategic health authority and England
		
			  Survival (%) (95% CI) 2 
		
		
			 West Yorkshire strategic health authority 
			 Prostate 59 (56–63) 
			 Breast (Women) 77 (75–78) 
			
			 England   
			 Prostate 60.2 (59.6–60.9) 
			 Breast (Women) 74.9 (74.5–75.3) 
		
	
	(3) Adults aged 15–99 years.
	(4) The 95% confidence intervals (CI) show the range of uncertainty around each survival rate.

IT Contracts

Pete Wishart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which non-accounting and non-information technology external organisations have won new contracts with (a) his Department and (b) executive agencies for which he is responsible in each of the past three years.

Stephen Timms: Over the last three years, the Chancellors' Departments have awarded a large number of contracts, varying in value and covering a wide range of goods and services (other than accounting and IT). Details of every individual contract could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However, details of contracts of significant value (i.e. over £100,000) have been placed in the Library of the House.

Crown Estates Properties

Alan Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many properties are on lease from the Crown Estate; how many of these are on lease for (a) 75 years or over, (b) 50 to 74 years and (c) 25 to 49 years; and how many houses are on lease from the Crown Estate for £1 million or more.

Stephen Timms: The Crown Estate has over 10,000 leases and licences covering both land and properties.
	(a) Approximately 1,900 leases are for over 75 years.
	(b) Approximately 1,000 leases are for between 50–74 years.
	(c) Approximately 1,800 leases are for between 25–49 years.
	The Crown Estate has 15 houses with leases valued at over £1 million.

Electoral Roll (Wandsworth)

Tom Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many electors were on the electoral roll in each constituency in the London borough of Wandsworth in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 10 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question regarding electoral roll numbers for parliamentary constituencies in the London borough of Wandsworth. (196729)
	The table below show these figures for the constituencies of Battersea, Putney and Tooting over the period 16 February 1997 to 1 December 2003, taken from our published annual electoral statistics tables.
	
		Electoral roll totals for parliamentary constituencies in the London borough of Wandsworth, 1997 to 2003 1,2
		
			  16 February: 1 December: 
			 Constituency 1997 1998 1999 2001 2001 2003 
		
		
			 Battersea 67,236 66,796 66,985 67,539 70,230 68,649 
			 Putney 60,538 60,206 60,226 60,677 61,436 61,010 
			 Tooting 67,027 66,461 66,692 68,518 72,246 69,906 
		
	
	(5) Owing to data quality issues, no electoral data were published for parliamentary constituencies in 2000.
	(6) In a number of areas, including Wandsworth, 2002 electoral data could not be split between constituencies within a borough. Consequently no figure for 2002 is shown.
	Source:
	ONS

Equity Release Schemes

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the taxation of pre-owned assets on equity release schemes;
	(2)  whether the reversion scheme equity release plan will be affected by the changes made in the Finance Act 2004 to the taxation of pre-owned assets.

Dawn Primarolo: We will ensure that the pre-owned assets measures have no impact on the full range of bona fide equity-release schemes with arms-length providers, while continuing to bear down on schemes aimed merely at avoidance. The Inland Revenue are in discussion with equity release providers to define what provision is needed to ensure this. We will be making further announcements about the pre-owned asset regulations following the conclusion of the current consultation.

Fuel Prices

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what measures he plans to implement to protect (a) fishermen and fisheries and (b) farmers from rising fuel bills; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what measures he plans to put in place to restrict the increase in the price of industrial diesel; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Oil prices have been volatile and high during this year. On 1 October, the Chancellor issued a statement identifying four steps to reduce the risk of high oil prices denting confidence and pushing up inflationary pressures. Firstly, OPEC must continue to take necessary action to return prices to levels consistent with global prosperity. Secondly, actions are needed to improve the transparency and efficiency of the oil markets. Thirdly oil producing countries need to promote sustainable investment in their reserves and productive capacity. Fourthly, all countries must promote greater energy efficiency and develop new sources of energy.
	Oil price rises affect the whole of the UK economy, and therefore are not limited to specific sectors. The Chancellor takes account of relevant economic, social and environmental factors when deciding taxation policy.

Funding (Hertfordshire)

Claire Ward: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from Hertfordshire police authority on funding of services; and if he will make a statement on the funding of (a) Hertfordshire and (b) other shire counties.

Stephen Timms: The 2002 spending review provided for record growth in spending on crime, justice and communities, from £16.5 billion in 2002–03 to £20.5 billion in 2005–06. The 2004 spending review has built on this progress by embedding the Government's success in delivery and further increasing spending in these areas by £3.5 billion by 2007–08, compared to 2004–05. The Home Secretary is due to announce specific policing allocations for 2005–06 shortly.

Productivity

David Trimble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the levels of Gross Value Added per employee in the (a) manufacturing sector and (b) private services sector were for each year from 1997 to 2003 in Great Britain.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Trimble, dated 10 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on the levels of Gross Value Added per employee in the manufacturing sector and in the private services sector for each year from 1997 to 2003 in Great Britain. (196865)
	The table below shows the index levels of UK manufacturing output per job for each year from 1997 to 2003.
	
		Manufacturing output per job index (2001 plus 100)
		
			  Index levels 
		
		
			 1997 85.9 
			 1998 87.0 
			 1999 90.9 
			 2000 96.6 
			 2001 100.0 
			 2002 101.5 
			 2003 106.6 
		
	
	We do not produce private services sector productivity. Total services industries output per job is available on the National Statistics website as part of the release of experimental statistics on services sector productivity. The web address of the latest release of service sector productivity is given below:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=9339.

Income Tax Evasion

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to reduce the level of income tax evasion.

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue has a programme of risk assessment directed at tackling income tax evasion. In addition, in Budget 2003 and again in 2004 the Government funded a package of further compliance initiatives. These included work on tackling evasion via offshore trusts and improving the inflow of information to the Inland Revenue. The proposed formation of HM Revenue and Customs, by merging Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise, will further enhance the effectiveness of the work currently undertaken by those departments.

Older Workers

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of (a) men and (b) women of each age from 50 to 70 years were in work on the latest date for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Willetts, dated 10 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment. (194849)
	The attached table provides the percentages of men and women at each age from 50 to 70 who are in employment.
	These estimates from the Labour Force Survey are, as with any sample survey, subject to sampling variability.
	
		People aged 50–70 in employment, 12 months ending in August 2004, United Kingdom -- Percentage(7)
		
			  All Persons Men Women 
		
		
			 All 50 to 70 52.1 59.2 45.2 
			 50 81.4 87.4 75.5 
			 51 79.6 84.4 74.8 
			 52 79.5 83.6 75.3 
			 53 77.0 82.1 72.1 
			 54 75.3 80.2 70.7 
			 55 72.6 78.1 67.5 
			 56 70.9 78.1 63.9 
			 57 67.6 74.9 60.3 
			 58 63.8 72.7 54.9 
			 59 60.6 67.9 53.4 
			 60 50.9 61.9 40.1 
			 61 46.2 56.6 35.9 
			 62 41.7 54.4 29.4 
			 63 35.6 49.5 22.9 
			 64 30.0 43.1 18.0 
			 65 17.6 23.2 12.5 
			 66 15.9 20.5 11.3 
			 67 13.6 16.8 10.8 
			 68 9.7 12.8 6.8 
			 69 9.2 11.8 6.7 
			 70 7.6 9.3 6.0 
		
	
	(7) Percentage of people in the relevant age and gender group who are in employment.
	Source:
	ONS Labour Force Survey.

Employment (Pendle)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many jobs have been created in the Pendle constituency since (a) 1997 and (b) 2001.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 10 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about jobs created in the Pendle constituency. (197035)
	While statistics of new jobs created are not available explicitly, statistics from surveys enable comparisons to be made of net changes, in numbers of jobs, from year-to-year.
	The attached table shows the information requested, relating to jobs in Pendle, for 1997, 2001 and 2002, which is the latest year available.
	
		Number of employee jobs(8) with workplace in the Pendle parliamentary constituency; 1997, 2001 and 2002
		
			  Total 
		
		
			 Number of employee jobs  
			 1997 29,900 
			 2001 30,500 
			 2002 32,100 
			 Change(9)  
			 1997 to 2002 2,200 
			 2001 to 2002 1,700 
		
	
	(8) Excludes self-employed jobs.
	(9) The 1997 to 2002 change and 2001 to 2002 change has been rounded to the nearest hundred separately from rounded levels for 1997, 2001 and 2002.
	Source:
	1997 rescaled Annual Employment Survey; 2001–2002 Annual Business Inquiry

Social Service Volunteer Drivers

Joan Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure that increases to Inland Revenue mileage allowances for social service volunteer drivers reflect fuel price increases; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Volunteer drivers are not taxed on payments to reimburse them for costs of using their own cars. For convenience, organisations can reimburse volunteer drivers using the statutory approved mileage allowance rates that apply to employees generally. But, if the actual costs of using their own car exceed the rates, volunteer drivers can be reimbursed the higher amount without giving rise to a tax charge.

VAT

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost would be to the Treasury in a year of a reduction in VAT on all home repair maintenance and improvement works to (a) 12 per cent. 10 per cent. and (c) five per cent.

Dawn Primarolo: Customs do not collect data on VAT from individual goods and services, therefore no such estimates are available.

VAT

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what commodities have been subject to changes in the rate of VAT since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Details of changes to the rate of VAT on supplies of goods and services are published annually in the Financial Statement and Budget Report (FSBR), which is available in the Library of the House.
	In addition, clarification of the VAT treatment of specific goods and services, including clarification of the boundaries for zero or reduced rates, results from court judgements and decisions of the VAT Tribunal. A full list of these minor changes for the period since 1997 could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Working Hours

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the number of hours in the average working week has been in each year since 1992; what figure was used for the number of workers in each year for the purposes of that calculation; and what the total number of hours worked in the economy was in each of those years.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Willetts, dated 10 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment. (194834)
	The attached table from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) provides the information requested for the three-month period ending August each year from 1992 to 2004. Average actual weekly hours are calculated using the number of people in employment who have reported hours of work. This employment figure excludes a small number of people on Government supported training and employment programmes who, in the Labour Force Survey reference week, were attending college and were not asked for their hours of work.
	These estimates from the Labour Force Survey are, as with any sample survey, subject to sampling variability.
	
		Actual weekly hours worked, three months ending in August each year from 1992 to 2004 seasonally adjusted
		
			  Average actual weekly hours(10) Employment estimate used for calculating average hours(11) (Thousand) Total actual weekly hours1, 2 (Million) 
		
		
			 All People
			 1992 33.0 25,416 838.7 
			 1993 33.1 25,161 831.4 
			 1994 33.2 25,422 844.1 
			 1995 33.2 25,766 855.8 
			 1996 33.3 25,988 865.2 
			 1997 33.2 26,460 877.5 
			 1998 33.0 26,792 885.0 
			 1999 32.9 27,114 892.5 
			 2000 32.7 27,512 899.2 
			 2001 32.7 27,677 905.7 
			 2002 32.0 27,881 892.9 
			 2003 32.2 28,140 906.7 
			 2004 31.8 28,341 902.6 
			 
			 Men
			 1992 38.6 13,985 539.5 
			 1993 38.7 13,727 531.6 
			 1994 39.0 13,873 541.6 
			 1995 39.0 14,062 547.9 
			 1996 38.9 14,158 551.2 
			 1997 38.8 14,423 559.2 
			 1998 38.6 14,602 563.0 
			 1999 38.3 14,747 564.3 
			 2000 38.0 14,897 565.7 
			 2001 37.9 15,007 568.5 
			 2002 37.0 15,057 556.5 
			 2003 37.2 15,252 566.7 
			 2004 36.7 15,336 563.4 
			 
			 Women
			 1992 26.2 11,432 299.2 
			 1993 26.2 11,434 299.8 
			 1994 26.2 11,548 302.4 
			 1995 26.3 11,703 307.9 
			 1996 26.5 11,830 314.0 
			 1997 26.4 12,037 318.4 
			 1998 26.4 12,191 321.9 
			 1999 26.5 12,366 328.2 
			 2000 26.4 12,615 333.5 
			 2001 26.6 12,670 337.2 
			 2002 26.2 12,824 336.4 
			 2003 26.4 12,888 340.0 
			 2004 26.1 13,005 339.3 
		
	
	(10) Average and total hours worked in the reference week are calculated including overtime and excluding lunch breaks.
	2 See text of answer for explanation of these employment figures.
	(11) Total actual hours for all people are calculated as the sum of hours for men and women separately.
	Source:
	ONS Labour Force Survey

HEALTH

Boots Medical Services

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact on patient confidentiality in relation to NHS records of the transfer of optical and dental patients from Boots Opticians laser eye clinics and Boots dental clinics to Optical Express; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: A number of the optical and dental treatments provided by Boots plc are on a private basis and therefore outside the scope of national health service services. Where Boots or Optical Express (DCM optical Clinic and Matland Ltd.) are providing services to NHS patients, they will be required to comply with NHS standards of patient confidentiality as part of their contracts with the NHS.

Departmental Estate

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the properties occupied by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004; and what the (A) area and (B) annual rental value (1) in aggregate and (2) in each case was in each year.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 4 November 2004
	The properties occupied by the Department and its agencies in 1997 and 2004 are as follows.
	1997
	Department
	Bartholomew House, Birmingham
	Berkeley Square, Bristol
	Canons Park, Stanmore
	Chalfont Drive, Nottingham
	Cressington House, Liverpool
	Eastbourne Terrace, London
	Eileen House, London
	Fulwood House, Sheffield
	Glenthorne YTC, Birmingham
	Hannibal House, London
	Government Offices, Hinchley Wood
	John Snow House, Durham
	Ladywood House, Birmingham
	Market Towers, London
	Block A Millennium Business Park, Warrington
	Block B Millennium Business Park, Warrington
	Premier Buildings, Nelson
	Quarry House, Leeds
	Richmond House, London
	St. James Place House, Nottingham
	Skipton House, London
	Tarrant House, Milton Keynes
	Tynebridge Tower, Gateshead
	Wellington House, London
	West Point, Manchester
	West Riding House, Leeds
	Westward House, Bristol
	Agency
	Canons Park, Stanmore
	Chantry House, Chester
	Crown House, Hitchin
	East Grinstead House, East Grinstead
	Furness Drive, Poulton-le-Fylde
	Hesketh House, Fleetwood
	Government Offices, Hinchley Wood
	Market Towers, London
	Prudential House, Leeds
	Trevelyan Square, Leeds
	Wheelchair Evaluation Centre, Blackpool
	2004
	Department
	Belgrave Road, London
	Berkeley Square, Bristol
	Canons Park, Stanmore
	Chalfont Drive, Nottingham
	Dominions House, Bristol
	Eileen House, London
	Ferguson House, London
	Hannibal House, London
	Heron House, London
	Government Offices, Hinchley Wood
	IAA Building, Manchester
	Kierran Cross, London
	Market Towers, London
	Block A, Millennium Business Park, Warrington
	New Kings Beam House, London
	Palace Yard Mews, London
	Premier Buildings Nelson
	Quarry House, Leeds
	Richmond House, London
	Skipton House, London
	Tynebridge Towers, Gateshead
	Wellington House, London
	Agency
	Bartholomew House, Birmingham
	Canons Park, Stanmore
	Chantry House, Chester
	Crown House, Hitchin
	Dominions House, Bristol
	Dudley, Birmingham
	Flockton House, Sheffield
	Government Offices, Hinchley Wood
	Greycoat Place, London
	Highcroft Lodge, Winchester
	Hunter House, York
	Lightfoot Street, Chester
	Lisbon House, Leeds
	Millennium House, Sheffield
	Market Towers, London
	Newbridge Hill, Bath
	3 North Terrace, Newcastle
	Palace Yard Mews, Bath
	Premier House, Reading
	Prudential House, York
	Trevelyan Square, Leeds
	Victory House, Cambridge
	West Solarium, Cambridge
	Wheelchair Evaluation Centre, Blackpool
	Windsor House, Harrogate
	10 Woodside, Plymouth
	The areas and annual rentals are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Department Agencies Total 
		
		
			 1997
			 Area (square metres) 114,730 17,003 131,733 
			 Rental (£000) 14,135 877 15,012 
			 
			 2004
			 Area (square metres) 95,743 10,708 106,451 
			 Rental (£000) 16,540 1,720 18,260

Eye Health Services

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS sight tests have been taken by individuals over 60 years in each year since 1999.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 14 October 2004
	The table shows the number of national health service sight tests paid by health authorities (HAs) and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England for the years ending 31 March 2000 to 2004.
	
		General ophthalmic services: number of sight tests paid byHAs/PCTs in England for patients aged 60 and over for the years ending 31 March 2000 to 2004
		
			  Number (million) 
		
		
			 1999–2000 3.3 
			 2000–01 3.8 
			 2001–02 4.0 
			 2002–03 4.1 
			 2003–04 4.3 
		
	
	Sight tests cannot be equated to the numbers of patients. Although most people do not need a repeat sight test within the year, some patients suffering from medical conditions are advised to have re-examinations sooner.

Disabled People

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 4 October 2004, Official Report, column 1965W, on disabled people, if he will renew central Government funding for disability charities.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government will continue to fund charities and other voluntary sector organisations through our section 64 programme.
	Decisions about 2005–06 bids will be made shortly.

Domiciliary Care

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on recruitment and retention in domiciliary care services.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department does not employ social care domiciliary workers and it is the responsibility of the employers to tackle problems of recruitment and retention, but the Government are taking a lead with employers in a range of initiatives to deal with the problems. These include additional funding to employers to facilitate joined up working and human resource development, new types of worker pilot schemes and a new national information service.
	For the second consecutive year, we are investing £1.5 million in a national social care recruitment campaign. The next television campaign is planned for January 2005 and will run for four weeks into early February. The previous television campaign, in February and March 2004, attracted over 80,000 contacts. All callers to the information service were either sent a suitable careers publication or, if they had an immediate interest in applying for a job, they were transferred to their nearest Job Centre Plus contact.

Health and Social Care

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that health and social care professionals carry out a full assessment of capacity about the matter in question when planning or providing health and social care to someone whose capacity is in doubt.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 10 November 2004
	The Mental Capacity Bill takes a functional approach to capacity. The question of who assesses an individual's capacity will depend on the particular decision to be made. The more serious the decision, the more formal the assessment of capacity may need to be.
	For most day-to-day decisions, the carer most directly involved with the person at the time the decision has to be made will assess the person's capacity. Formal processes are rarely required, unless the assessment is challenged or there is reason for doubt. Whoever assesses capacity must be prepared to justify his or her findings.
	Where consent to medical treatment or examination is required, the doctor proposing the treatment must decide whether the patient has capacity to consent and should record the assessment process and findings in the person's medical notes.
	If a person's capacity to do something is disputed, or there is serious doubt, it is a question for the court to decide. Cases referred to the new Court of Protection will require evidence of the assessment of capacity. The code of practice will set out possible situations when a formal assessment of capacity is required and examples of where cases may be referred to the court.

Low Vision Aids

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage social services departments to provide low vision aids, free of charge to any person requiring them.

Rosie Winterton: Low vision aids are already available free on loan to any person requiring them. It is for local areas to decide how best to organise their low vision services. Most services are provided in a hospital setting by the hospital eye service, because prescription of the aid and training in its use must be done in the context of vision assessments. The hospital eye service will assess the needs of the individual and provide any necessary low vision aids, which could be in the form of strong reading glasses, magnifiers or telescopes.
	Social services departments have responsibility for assessing the needs of individuals who request help due to problems with their vision. This is usually in the form of modifications to a person's home, such as improved lighting and hi-marks for cookers. Any help offered will be following a comprehensive assessment of the individual's needs.
	The Government-funded integrating community equipment services initiative aims to produce better general equipment services for people by integrating separate national health service and social services equipment services.

NHS Dentistry

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of (a) recruiting the equivalent of 1,000 dentists by October 2005 and (b) increasing training places for dentists by 170 from 2005.

Rosie Winterton: £50 million was provided across the national health service to increase the amount of NHS work carried out by practising dentists during 2004–05. Other costs are under review.
	The total cost to the Department and the Higher Education Funding Council for England of increasing training places by 170 is estimated as £40 million revenue and £95 million capital.

NHS Dentistry

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in Hull and East Riding were registered with an NHS dentist on (a) 1 September 2003 and (b) 1 September 2004.

Rosie Winterton: There were 75,214 children under 18 registered with national health service dentists in the four primary care trusts covering Hull and the East Riding on 1 September 2003 and 74,366 on 1 September 2004.

Waiting Times

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2004 to question 194032, what the average waiting time for a first appointment with a consultant in (a) psychiatry, (b) urology and (c) endocrinology were in the last period for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Average (median) times for consultant outpatient appointment following general practitioner referral
		
			 Specialty Median waiting times (weeks) 
		
		
			 Urology 5.11 
			 Endocrinology 5.49 
			 Mental handicap 3.56 
			 Mental illness 3.72 
			 Child and adolescent psychiatry 5.33 
			 Forensic psychiatry 2.00 
			 Psychotherapy 5.11 
			 Old age psychiatry 3.80 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health form QM08.

TRANSPORT

Acoustic Screening

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost was of the acoustic screening erected within the last three years on both sides of the M1, north and south of Junction 11; what noise-level studies led to their installation; and what the results of those studies were.

David Jamieson: In September 2003 the Highways Agency completed the first phase of a scheme to provide acoustic fences on both sides of the M1 at Junction 11 at Luton. Because of the cost and complexity of the scheme, the work is being carried out in two phases.
	The cost of completing Phase 1 was £2.4 million.
	Phase 2 is due to start this month with completion expected in April 2005. The cost for Phase 2 is estimated at £1.9 million.
	In March 1999 the Government established revised criteria and a ring-fenced annual budget of £5 million to deal with some of the most serious and pressing cases of traffic noise on existing trunk roads. A written reply to a parliamentary question raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford (Jonathan Shaw) on 11 November 1999, Official Report, column 681W, contained a letter from Lawrie Haynes, the then chief executive of the Highways Agency, identifying those locations where previous concerns about noise had been expressed which were found to satisfy the new criteria (location list known as the "Hansard" list). The Ml between Junctions 10 and 11 and between Junctions 11 and 12 were included on the list.
	In September 1999, the agency commissioned its managing agents to carry out a detailed study of noise conditions between Junctions 10 and 12 of the Ml at Luton. The study report identified 772 properties in an area chiefly concentrated around Junction 11 with a noise greater than 68 dB(A). The report concluded that through the provision of noise barriers over extended lengths and varying in height between two and three metres, it would be feasible to provide substantial noise reducing benefits for many properties. 280 properties would receive a noise reduction of at least 3 dB(A); equivalent to a halving of the traffic. Another 492 properties would receive a smaller but nonetheless tangible benefit as a result of the scheme.

Air Travel (Financial Protection)

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library the Civil Aviation Authority Consumer Protection Group's July advice to Government on Financial Protection for Air Travellers and Package Holidaymakers; and if he will make a statement.

Charlotte Atkins: The advice from the Civil Aviation Authority on Financial Protection for Air Travellers and Package Holidaymakers in the Future can be found on the CAA website. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	In a joint statement with the CAA issued on 27 October, the Government announced that they had asked the CAA to carry out more detailed work on other options to address the decline in the proportion of people covered by the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing scheme. This work is expected to be completed early next year.
	In the meantime, the Government will continue work with the CAA and industry on putting in place a range of interim voluntary measures to improve consumer protection.

Bus Lanes

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many bus lanes have been created within the Greater London area in each of the last three years.

Tony McNulty: The Mayor and the boroughs are responsible for the introduction of bus lanes in Greater London. The number of bus lanes introduced in the Greater London area in each of the last three years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Bus lanes 
		
		
			 2001–02 77 
			 2002–03 100 
			 2003–04 51

Buses

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been given in bus subsidy since 1997.

Alistair Darling: The totals for bus subsidy in England for each year for the period 1997–98 to 2002–03—the last year for which figure are currently available—are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1997–98 762 
			 1998–99 846 
			 1999–2000 917 
			 2000–01 1,056 
			 2001–02 1,188 
			 2002–03 1,440 
		
	
	Totals comprise Bus Service Operators Grant (formerly called Fuel Duty Rebate), support and grants for buses by local authorities and by Transport for London, and local authority expenditure on bus concessionary fares.

Buses

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the Government have to encourage bus use outside of London.

Alistair Darling: In "The Future of Transport" White Paper, which I published in the summer, I outlined a range of Government action to encourage the use of buses. These include funding of bus priority measures to reduce journey times, rural bus subsidy grant, real time information systems and regulations to facilitate demand-responsive bus services. The White Paper also encourages local authorities and bus operators to work together in partnership, and offers the opportunity for additional funding for authorities who wish to radically enhance bus services, perhaps through quality contracts, where the enhancement is combined with plans to tackle congestion.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of carbon dioxide emissions from road traffic in (a) 1990, (b) 1997, (c) 2003, (d) 2010, (e) 2015 and (f) 2020.

David Jamieson: Estimates of carbon emissions from road traffic are set out in the table below. The data is taken from the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI) and is for the UK. The NAEI will not have 2003 emissions data available until early next year.
	
		
			  UK—million tonnes carbon 
		
		
			 1990 29.7 
			 1997 31.7 
			 2002 31.9 
		
	
	The latest DfT projections of carbon emissions are produced by the National Transport Model (NTM). Projections for 2010, 2015 and 2025 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  GB—million tonnes carbon 
		
		
			 2010 32.0—32.6 
			 2015 30.5—31.5 
			 2025 28.6—30.2 
		
	
	The NTM operates at the Great Britain level. The National Environmental Technology Centre (NETCEN) estimates for 2001 suggest that UK emissions were around 3.8 per cent. higher than emissions for Great Britain. A good deal of uncertainty is attached to all forecasts and the numbers should be treated as indicative, illustrating possible trends. The range reflects uncertainty about several important factors that influence travel demand, e.g. economic growth and how people will respond in future to changes in the costs of travel.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the level of carbon emissions from rail haulage in each year since 1990.

Tony McNulty: Carbon dioxide emissions attributable to rail for years between 1990 and 2002, expressed as a percentage of total UK carbon dioxide emissions, are:
	
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 1990 0.4 
			 1991 0.4 
			 1992 0.4 
			 1993 0.4 
			 1994 0.4 
			 1995 0.4 
			 1996 0.4 
			 1997 0.3 
			 1998 0.3 
			 1999 0.3 
			 2000 0.3 
			 2001 0.3 
			 2002 0.2 
		
	
	Figures for years since 2002 are not yet available. The figures include direct emissions from diesel rail vehicles; those associated with electricity generation for the rail industry, most of which is used to power electric trains; and refinery emissions associated with the refining of fuel used by the industry. The last two categories between them make up around 14 per cent. of the total.

Container Security Initiative

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which UK ports are fully operational as far as the Container Security Initiative is concerned; which other ports will become part of the initiative; and for ports that are to become part of the initiative, how long their procedural development (testing) phase will last before they become operational.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The ports of Southampton, Felixstowe, Liverpool, Tilbury and Thamesport are fully operational. No other UK ports are scheduled to be included in the initiative.

Drink Driving

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents were caused by drink driving in the Greater London area in each of the last three years.

David Jamieson: Whether an accident was caused by drink driving is not recorded as part of the Department's personal injury accident database. However, the following table shows the number and severity of accidents in Greater London where at least one of the drivers involved provided a positive breath test or refused to provide a breath test.
	
		Accidents involving positive breath tests in Greater London
		
			  Fatal or serious Slight Total 
		
		
			 2001 192 830 1,022 
			 2002 202 734 936 
			 2003 181 676 857

Rail Services (Punctuality Statistics)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to prevent train operating companies setting artificially late arrival times at London terminals in order to avoid incurring penalties for late arrivals.

Tony McNulty: Franchise agreements between train operating companies and the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) include minimum service requirements which specify the maximum permissible journey times. Train operators may only change these times with the permission of the SRA. The avoidance of penalties for lateness would not be acceptable grounds for such a change.

Rail Travel Demand

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is his policy to constrain demand for rail passenger travel by allowing an increase in travel costs above the rate of inflation.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 8 November 2004
	No. Last year's fares review concluded that regulated fares should move from RPI -1 per cent. to RPI +1 per cent. This move was made in order to help redress the balance of funding between the fare payer and the general tax payer and to recognise the fact that the travelling public is now seeing the benefits of a significant increase in investment in the railway.

Road Noise

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funds are available to his Department for noise mitigation on motorways; whether these funds are dedicated to noise mitigation measures; whether they are ring-fenced for acoustic barriers and quieter surfaces; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: Under the 10-year plan, 60 per cent. of the strategic road network, including motorways, is to be treated with quieter road surfacing in line with maintenance need. These resurfacing works are funded from a Roads Renewals budget, the value of which varies annually.
	A list of locations having serious and pressing noise problems, but where there was no early prospect of quiet surfacing being installed as part of planned maintenance, was announced on 11 November 1999. Measures to relieve noise problems at these locations, by providing either acoustic barriers or quieter surfacing as appropriate, have been funded from an annual £5 million ring-fenced budget.
	I gave more specific details of the overall strategy for dealing with noise mitigation on the strategic road network in the adjournment debate on motorway noise in Leicestershire held on 30 March 2004, Official Report, column 419WH.
	Noise mitigation measures installed as part of a new road construction scheme, which may include measures such as earthwork bunds and secondary glazing, are funded from the overall budget assigned to the scheme.

Road Noise

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average cost per mile is of resurfacing a standard dual carriageway with the new quieter surface.

David Jamieson: The average cost per mile for resurfacing a standard dual carriageway (assumed as two lanes in each direction) with a quieter surface is £500,000.

Road Schemes

Archie Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will make an announcement on the priorities within the Targeted Programme of Trunk Road Improvement.

David Jamieson: We plan to do so shortly.

Search Warrants

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many search warrants under the provisions of the Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001 have been implemented in each police authority area; and what action has resulted from such police investigations.

Hazel Blears: I have been asked to reply.
	Information about numbers of search warrants is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Statistics on prosecutions and convictions are published annually. The most recently published statistics cover the year ending December 2002. These show that there were no completed prosecutions or convictions under the Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001 between October (the earliest time the provisions became enforceable) and December 2002. Statistics for 2003 will be published in December.

Transport for London

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what recent discussions have taken place between his Department and Transport for London about transfer of further powers to Transport for London;
	(2)  what plans the Government have to change the powers of London borough councils in relation to transport.

Alistair Darling: The "Future of Railways" White Paper set out a number of areas where consideration would be given to extending the Mayor's responsibilities for rail services. Since then regular discussions have taken place with Transport for London (TfL) and these are ongoing.
	My Department is also taking forward work on the Crossrail scheme, together with TfL. As noted in my statement to the House of 20 July 2004, were powers to be secured to construct Crossrail, the implementation of the scheme could subsequently be transferred to TfL.
	The Traffic Management Act 2004 provides TfL with new powers to co-ordinate local highway authority works on a strategic road network. London boroughs will remain the highway authority for these roads but TfL will have powers to veto works on these roads, or on other roads that will adversely affect strategic roads.

Vehicle Salvage

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicle salvage operators have been registered in each month since October 2002; and how many have been registered in total in each police authority area.

Hazel Blears: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

DEFENCE

Army Redundancies

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether all personnel from the regiments to be made redundant will be allowed to leave the Army with a full compensatory package.

Ivor Caplin: Members of the regular armed forces who leave on redundancy are entitled to the redundancy terms set out in the Armed Forces Pension Scheme.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Iraqi civilians apprehended by British service personnel have been treated in a manner consistent with the "UN Body of Principles for the Protection of all Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment".

Adam Ingram: The document "UN Body of Principles for the Protection of all Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment" provides guidance to the armed forces of member states who are engaged in UN operations. We are confident that the procedures we have adopted would be effectively consistent with it, though it does not apply to UK forces in Iraq which are operating under Security Council Resolution 1546 and are not engaged on UN Operations. Persons detained by UK forces are treated in accordance with the Geneva Conventions and other relevant international conventions, which include guidance on basic prisoner treatment.

Iraq

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 15 March 2004, Official Report, column 48W, on Iraq, what criteria were used to determine which pages of the Iraqi declaration on its weapons of mass destruction were relevant for translation from Arabic.

Geoff Hoon: The Iraqi Declaration on WMD programmes contained over 12,000 pages. The Declaration was split into two parts, the main text and the supporting documents. The main text contained over 5,000 pages, of which 650 were in Arabic; all of these were translated. Around 3,000 pages of the supporting documents were in Arabic, and only those judged to be of potential WMD significance were translated.

Iraq

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will investigate the whereabouts of the research conducted by Professor Huda Ammash, Dean of Baghdad University, and other scientists, into the contamination of Iraq from depleted uranium.

Ivor Caplin: The Ministry of Defence carries out regular reviews of all peer reviewed scientific literature relating to the use of depleted uranium munitions by subscription to international scientific and medical databases such as PubMed and Web of Science. No record of any work by Professor Huda Ammash relating to depleted uranium has been found on these databases.

Mirach Target Service

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 13 July 2004, Official Report, column 1042W, on Llanbedr Airfield, when the Mirach target service will be taken out of service; and what will replace it.

Ivor Caplin: The Mirach target service, operated from Aberporth, replaced the Jindivik aerial target towing vehicles, which, until recently, were launched from Llandbedr. Operations at Llanbedr ceased on 31 October this year and Jindivik is no longer used. Mirach has only recently been introduced at Aberporth and QinetiQ, the company operating the service at that site on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, currently has no plans to replace it. MOD is currently considering proposals for a Combined Aerial Target Service, with a view to placing a single contract for the provision and operation of tri-service target support from 2006. It is not known, at this stage, whether Mirach will form part of this future service.

Satanism

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the policy of allowing members of the (a) Royal Navy and (b) armed forces to register their religion as satanist.

Ivor Caplin: There is no provision allowing members of the armed forces to record their religion as satanist.

Territorial Army

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Territorial Army personnel have resigned within 12 months of returning from a six-month tour of overseas duty in each of the last three years.

Ivor Caplin: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Aegis Defence Services

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the value is of contracts agreed with Aegis Defence Services by the (a) UK, (b) Coalition and (c) Iraqi administration; what the contracts are for; what other contracts the UK Government has awarded to the company; in what countries; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The UK Government have no contracts with Aegis Defence Services in Iraq or elsewhere.
	The US Department of Defense has awarded Aegis Defence Services a contract worth $293 million over three years to provide security support to its Project Management and Contracting Office in Iraq. Her Majesty's Government is not a party to the contract, nor was it involved in any way in its negotiation.
	We are not aware of any contracts between the Government of Iraq and Aegis Defence Services.

Afghanistan

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to facilitate the admission of Afghanistan to the World Trade Organisation; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Government supports the accession of Afghanistan to the World Trade Organisation on the right terms.
	Afghanistan applied to accede to the WTO in April 2003 but their application for WTO membership has yet to be considered.
	Following the successful conclusion of elections in Afghanistan the UK will consult with the European Commission and other European partners on how to facilitate Afghanistan's accession request. The European Commission has sole competence to negotiate WTO accession applications on behalf of the EU.

Afghanistan

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what strategy his Department plans to use to tackle opium in Afghanistan.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 9 November 2004
	The UK, as lead nation, is committed to supporting the Afghan Government in the implementation of their comprehensive National Drug Control Strategy. As well as co-ordinating the activity of international partners, we are providing substantial—spending more than £70 million over three years in support of the strategy as well as providing significant funding for alternative livelihoods. Our work is focusing on: providing poppy farmers with alternative livelihoods; targeted eradication campaigns; law enforcement and interdiction; a fast track counter narcotics element in the developing criminal justice system; drug demand reduction and an information campaign to alert farmers to the illegality and risks of poppy cultivation and to raise drug awareness.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates discussions have taken place with the Department for International Development on resettlement costs for the Chagos Islands in the last year.

Bill Rammell: Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development officials were in contact on various occasions in late June and early July this year on the issue of possible resettlement costs relating to outer Islands in the British Indian Ocean Territory.

China

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the level of economic growth in China in the last 10 years.

Bill Rammell: The level of economic growth in China over the last 10 years has been, by any measure, astounding: GDP has averaged 9 per cent. growth over the last decade, according to official figures. It has helped lift millions out of poverty. We welcome the Chinese Government's desire to encourage more balanced development across the country and between urban and rural regions. We hope that the Chinese Government will now try to implement political reform to support China's further economic development.

Commencement of Legislation

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by year of enactment.

Jack Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is responsible for the following primary legislation enacted in the last 30 years which has not yet been brought into force.
	Antarctic Minerals Act 1989 (to the extent that it has not been repealed). This was an Act to implement the Antarctic Minerals Convention. That convention never came into force. The Act was mainly repealed by the Antarctic Act 1994, which implemented the Environmental Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty. The remaining provisions of the 1989 Act are jurisdictional provisions, which supported the Minerals Convention, but go wider. They would allow UK courts to deal with offences committed on British Antarctic Territory. It has not been thought necessary so far to bring them into force.
	Arms Control and Disarmament (Inspections) Act 2003. This is an Act to implement an amendment to the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty (1991); that amendment has itself not yet come into force and can only do so when the treaty change has been ratified by all the states parties to the 1991 treaty.

Departmental Disciplinary Procedures

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the disciplinary complaints procedure used in relation to senior officials in his Department.

Douglas Alexander: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Misconduct Procedure applies to all FCO UK-based staff regardless of grade and includes the following stages:
	an investigation into the allegation followed by a decision on whether there is a case to answer;
	if there is a case to answer, a disciplinary hearing is convened;
	if the allegation is upheld the officer has a right of appeal;
	the officer who is subject to the allegation has the right to be represented by a work colleague or trade union representative at both hearing and appeal stage;
	if dismissed, the officer has a further external right of appeal to the Diplomatic Service Appeal Board or the Civil Service Appeal Board, as appropriate, as well as to the Employment Tribunal under the appropriate act.
	The FCO Misconduct Procedure is consistent with best practice and statutory obligations. A copy of the Procedure has been placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Staff

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people in his Department earn more than a whole-time equivalent salary of £57,485 per year.

Douglas Alexander: There are currently 409 full-time Foreign and Commonwealth Office employees with a salary of £57,485 or more.

Departmental Staff

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of the staff of the Department in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003 were people with disabilities.

Douglas Alexander: The percentage of staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office who declared themselves disabled were 2.2 per cent. in 2002 and 2.02 per cent. in 2003.

Tibet

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received concerning the denial of access to detainees at Drapchi Prison, Lhasa, to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We have received no representations about the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention's difficulties in interviewing some prisoners at Drapchi Prison.
	However, I raised this issue with Assistant Foreign Minister Li Hui during my visit to China earlier this month.

East Africa

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken to facilitate the implementation of the 2002 world court ruling on Badme in the context of the Eritrea-Ethiopia border dispute.

Chris Mullin: We are continuing to press Ethiopia to accept the final and binding decision of the Boundary Commission, and to press Eritrea to participate in the comprehensive political dialogue proposed by the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy, Lloyd Axworthy.

Fair Trade

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is his policy to ensure that hospitality within his Department is sourced from Fair Trade producers wherever possible within the boundaries set by the public procurement rules.

Bill Rammell: It is not current policy within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for all hospitality within the Department to be sourced from Fair Trade producers where possible. However all suppliers are encouraged to provide produce from Fair Trade producers where it is feasible to do so.
	The FCO policy is currently being reviewed as part of DEFRA's Food Procurement Initiative, and the FCO are taking an active role in its development and implementation.

G8 Summit

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 2 November 2004, Official Report, column 225W, on the G8 Summit, what contracts for the supply of services at the G8 Summit the office plans to award; when he expects the contract award procedures to commence; how the contract award procedures will be publicised; and what estimate he has made of the monetary value of the contracts.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 8 November 2004
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) will employ a production company to provide some of the meeting facilities for the Summit, and to set up and manage the Summit media centre. A host broadcaster will be taken on to handle the technical aspects of the media operation. The FCO advertised these requirements in the Official Journal of the European Union on 15 October, inviting companies to send expressions of interest by 18 November. The FCO will then invite tenders and award contracts according to Public Procurement Guidelines on a competitive basis. The monetary value of the contracts will depend on the tenders received.
	The FCO may require other services but these have not yet been defined.

Gabon

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visas were granted to Gabonese students through the British high commission in Yaounde in Cameroon in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement on these arrangements.

Chris Mullin: In 2003, there were 39 student applications from Gabonese nationals, of which 14 were issued. So far in 2004, there have been 21 such applications of which six have been issued.
	The United Kingdom currently has no representation in Gabon and visa applicants are invited to apply in Yaounde or the nearest accessible post. Yaounde offers a same-day service to all visa applicants.

General Election (Overseas Voters)

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking to ensure that British High Commissions are providing information for British citizens on how to vote in any forthcoming general election.

Chris Mullin: In advance of a general election, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) instructs all its missions overseas, including British High Commissions, to seek every opportunity to publicise the provisions for overseas electors. This includes issuing press releases, using radio and TV broadcasts, and seeking free advertising space in local English-language newspapers.
	We have also assisted the Electoral Commission in its efforts to make available information on overseas voter registration. Working with the Commission, we have developed guidance for the FCO website www.fco.gov.uk linked to the Electoral Commission's own website www.electoralcommission.org.uk where registration forms are available.
	We have made the guidance available on a majority of the FCO's local Post websites and on our internal intranet.

Guide to the European Union

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost of production of the Guide to the European Union was; how many copies have been printed; how many imprints and downloads in respect of the documents have been made on his Department's website; and what steps are being taken to distribute the document.

Denis MacShane: 207,000 copies of the Guide to the EU have been printed at a cost of approximately £45,000. The EU Guide has been sent to every public library in the UK and over the coming months will be distributed at events and venues nation-wide. It is also available online at www.europe.gov.uk and members of the public can request individual copies from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. No further decisions on distribution have been taken. The EU Guide website had received 951 visits by 8 November 2004.

Iraq

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) forensic and (b) other assistance is being provided by the UK for the (i) uncovering and (ii) investigation of mass graves in Iraq.

Bill Rammell: The UK provided a forensic assessment team under the Coalition Provisional Authority, which was involved in recording and assessing reported mass gravesites. Overall the UK has allocated some £2 million to support the Iraqis in dealing with the issue of mass graves. This includes funding to support the development of a comprehensive mass grave action plan and to train a full Iraqi forensic investigation team.

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the UN International Commission of Inquiry into alleged human rights abuses in Darfur about the need for a declaration by the Government of Sudan under Article 12(3) of the Rome Statute.

Chris Mullin: It would not be appropriate for the UK or any other state to make representations to the International Commission of Inquiry. Although set up under UN auspices, it will be important for the Commission to have as much independence and autonomy as possible. We will however carefully consider any requests for assistance.
	The precise judicial mechanism which will be used in Darfur will be decided following the investigations of the International Commission of Inquiry. We believe that the Government of Sudan should consider voluntarily accepting the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court under Article 12.3 of the Rome Statute.

Uganda

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo's statement on 1 November concerning the International Criminal Court's decision not to prosecute child soldiers in northern Uganda; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Article 26 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court expressly excludes from its jurisdiction persons under 18 years old at the time of the alleged commission of a crime. The Prosecutor's statement was therefore not a decision, but a clarification that in northern Uganda, the child soldiers of the Lord's Resistance Army will not and cannot be prosecuted by the court.

Uganda

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the International Criminal Court's decision to investigate the activities of the Lord's Resistance Army in northern Uganda; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: The International Criminal Court is independent and we respect any decision it takes to begin an investigation. We will do all we can to support the court in its activities. We continue to urge that all avenues—including dialogue—should be explored in the search for a comprehensive and sustainable end to this conflict.

Uganda

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department has (a) offered and (b) provided to the International Criminal Court in its investigation of northern Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: The UK has offered, and is already providing general practical support and advice in a variety of key areas, including witness protection and the enforcement of sentences. In addition, the UK has made a voluntary contribution to the International Criminal Court's (ICC) Trust Fund for Victims.
	Because of the need to respect judicial independence, and to protect the integrity of the court's operations, we cannot comment on the operational aspects of specific ICC investigations; nor can we reveal what specific UK support is provided in that regard.

Ukraine

Michael Trend: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the first round of the presidential elections in the Ukraine; and whether he has assessed this as a free and fair campaign and vote.

Denis MacShane: I refer the hon. Member to the declaration on the conduct of the elections in Ukraine issued by the EU Presidency on 1 November, to the Conclusions issued by the European Council on 5 November and to the press statement I on 3 November.
	In the Conclusions the European Council regretted that the first round of the presidential election did not meet international standards and called on the Ukrainian authorities "to address the noted deficiencies in lime before the second round of the elections and to create conditions allowing for free and fair elections, in particular by ensuring equal access to state media for both contenders,"
	The full text of the Council's Conclusions and the EU Presidency's declaration are available on the Presidency's website at www.eu2004.nl and my press statement at www.fco.gov.uk.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Anti-terrorism Legislation

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals have been detained on his authority under anti-terrorist legislative powers; how many are now detained; and for how long each individual has been detained.

David Blunkett: 16 people have been certified and detained under Part 4 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001(ATCSA). One further person has been certified but is detained under other powers. Those detained under Part 4 of the ATCSA 2001 are free to leave the country at any time; and two have done so.
	Of these, 12 remain in detention and one has been released from detention under strict bail conditions.
	Details of the 12 remaining in detention and their dates of certification are as follows:
	
		
			  Date of certification 
		
		
			 A 17 December 2001 
			 B 5 February 2002 
			 C 17 December 2001 
			 E 17 December 2001 
			 H 22 April 2002 
			 Rideh 17 December 2001 
			 P 15 January 2003 
			 Abu Qatada 23 October 2002 
			 I 22 April 2002 
			 K 2 October 2003 
			 S 7 August 2003 
			 Q 15 January 2003 
		
	
	Each case is reviewed quarterly.
	Further details are available on the Home Office website at: homeoffice.gov.uk/docs3/atcsa_detainees

Anti-Social Behaviour

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are in place to reduce (a) begging and (b) street drinking.

Hazel Blears: Since the end of July this year, begging has been included as a trigger offence under the Criminal Justice Interventions Programme. This will mean that those charged with begging will be drug tested and will enhance their opportunities for the underlying causes of their behaviour to be addressed and to route out repeat offending by offering treatment.
	We need to ensure that we address the underlying causes of those who beg. If we help those who beg because of drug use to get access to effective treatment we help them, help communities and help those intimidated by begging. Better use of enforcement powers and alternative giving schemes will help to address the underlying and immediate problems.
	Street drinking, like begging can be intimidating. In June 2003 70 local authorities notified the Home Office that they had set up designated public places orders (DPPOs) to restrict antisocial public drinking in areas that have experienced alcohol related disorder or nuisance. The Licensing Act 2003 has also extended the powers of the police to confiscate alcohol from individuals in a public place which is designated as a non drinking zone.
	Fixed penalty notices for disorder which were strengthened in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 are also proving useful tools for dealing with offences such as drunk and disorderly and drunk on a public highway.

Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the prospects for those detained (a) at HMP Belmarsh and (b) elsewhere within the Prison Service since 2001, under part 4 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, to be brought to trial or released.

David Blunkett: Part 4 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 (ATCSA) is an immigration power which enables me to certify and detain foreign nationals who are suspected of involvement in international terrorism and who are believed to pose a risk to national security, but who can not currently be removed from the United Kingdom. Those detained under part 4 of the ATCS Act are free to leave the country at any time; and two have done so. The detainees have also been offered transfer to special facilities at Woodhill prison—and their lawyers on their behalf have rejected this.
	As the House debated at the time, the admissibility of the evidence presented for certification required the special process under the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) to avoid exposure of security services and techniques.
	The detainees' cases are kept under review. Only those who pose a continuing threat to national security are detained.

Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners held at Broadmoor Hospital are detained under provisions of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.

David Blunkett: Two individuals who are the subject of a certificate under part 4 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 (ATCSA) have been transferred to Broadmoor under s48 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

Asylum Seekers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what comparative assessment he has made of levels of (a) immigration and (b) asylum claims in the UK and the rest of the EU.

Des Browne: Assessment of levels of immigration and asylum claims in the UK and the rest of the UK is part of an ongoing process for policy development.
	In the most recent full-year figures, asylum claims in the UK fell by 40 per cent. while the rest of the EU fell by 10 per cent. (2003 compared with 2002).
	RDS have commissioned three reports which have assessed and reported on the patterns and trends of international migration:
	1. Dobson et al (2001) International Migration and the United Kingdom: Recent Patterns and Trends. RDS Occasional Paper 75.
	2. Clarke et al (2004) Migration Policies and Trends: International Comparisons. (Published on the UCL website).
	3. Zetter et al (2003) An assessment of the impact of asylum policies in Europe 1990–2000. Home office Research Study 259.
	The Home Office statistical bulletin on asylum statistics and the quarterly annual statistics report include tables to show asylum applications to European Countries. Comparative assessments are also made by Immigration Research and Statistic Service (IRSS) on an ad hoc basis.
	The National Audit Office carried out a review of the Home Office's asylum and migration statistics. Part of the review was to examine whether changes in the number of asylum applications have impacted on other forms of migration within the UK. There was no clear statistical evidence that such an impact had occurred.
	In addition numerous international bodies (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Council of Europe, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and Eurostat) regularly publish comparative data on the trends and levels of immigration and asylum claims.
	IRSS is the UK contact point for the European Migration Network, which aims to build up and facilitate the exchange of comparative information in the field of migration and asylum across European Member States.

Communications Interception

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of, and how many, proposed interceptions of communications under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 submitted to him for approval by officials he rejected in the last year for which figures are available.

David Blunkett: Records are not kept in a form which would enable the information requested to be extracted without disproportionate cost. Each application for interception is subject to careful scrutiny at a number of stages before a warrant is issued. The application is submitted by a very senior officer following scrutiny within the agency concerned. Within my Department, it will normally be examined by officials at four successive levels of seniority before being presented to me for approval. I consider each application carefully before issuing the warrant. At any stage in this process the case may, and on occasion is, referred back to the agency for clarification or further detail. This may, and sometimes does, result in a decision that the application should be withdrawn or that a warrant should not be issued.
	The whole process including rejected applications is scrutinised by the Intercept Commissioner.

Consultants

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) nature and (b) value was of all contracts, consultancies and other services placed with (i) Deloitte & Touche, (ii) Ernst & Young, (iii) KPMG, (iv) PricewaterhouseCoopers and (v) PA Consulting since 2000–01 by the Department and its agencies.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information held by the Home Office on the value of all contracts, consultancies and other services placed with Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers and PA Consulting since 2000–01 by the Home Office and it's agencies is as follows:
	
		Value of all contracts, consultancies and other services placed since 2000–2001 -- £
		
			 Company 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004– 
		
		
			 Deloitte & Touche 262,066 33,274 438,717 67,667 0 
			 Ernst & Young 0 0 0 1,867,782 0 
			 KPMG 0 114,477 54,689 93,136 65,541 
			 PricewaterhouseCoopers 2,264,239 5,578,449 1,472,817 184,429 237,000 
			 PA Consulting 2,400,267 2,366,666 4,196,057 138,737 165,566 
		
	
	The nature of work carried out on behalf of named Home Office units and its executive agencies by Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers and PA Consulting is listed:
	Deloitte & Touche:
	To provide advice on the accounting treatment of new PFI prisons at Peterborough & Ashford. (Office of Contracts and Competitions)
	Provision of consultancy services. (UK Passport Service)
	Research—National Asylum Support Service: Interim Process Review—Induction Centre Briefing: A Process and Impact Evaluation. (Research, Development & Statistics)
	Consultants to The National DNA Database. (Forensic Science Service)
	Ernst & Young:
	Provision of consultancy services on Data Exchange Project (UK Passport Service)
	Consultancy and implementation of Operational Management System Phase 2—Procurement and Finance Modules, (Forensic Science Service)
	Review of Operational Management System Phase 1. (Forensic Science Service)
	KPMG:
	Consultancy on Financial Issues. (UK Passport Service)
	Consultancy Services. (HM Prison Service)
	Police Performance Assessment Framework—Creation of Domains. (Research, Development & Statistics)
	PricewaterhouseCoopers:
	Independent Internal Auditors. (Criminal Records Bureau)
	Financial Advisors for 2 Marsham Street PFI Deal. (Building and Estates Management Unit)
	Advice in respect of arrangements to launch a 'Variation Bond' to provide additional funding for 2 Marsham Street. (Building and Estates Management Unit)
	Provision of internal audit services. (UK Passport Service)
	Consultancy on development of sampling strategy (fraudulent passports). (UK Passport Service)
	Consultancy for development of Prisons Cost Model. (HM Prison Service)
	Services—Requirement for recruitment and executive search and selection. (HM Prison Service)
	Production of Wider Markets business case. (Forensic Science Service)
	PA Consulting:
	Development of model office pilot, pre-implementation review and testing. (Criminal Records Bureau)
	Independent IT advice and support. (Criminal Records Bureau)
	Assistance and advice in the development of a business continuity plan. (Criminal Records Bureau)
	General specialist advice and support. (Criminal Records Bureau)
	Programme and project management—STEPS 2 Project. (National Probation Directorate)
	Structure review:
	Review of court escort contracts.
	Directors office requirement for review of workforce planning.
	Requirement for review of finance function across prison service.
	Review of Planning Group (HM Prison Service)
	Provision of Consultancy Services: Various Projects (UK Passport Service)
	Research:
	Diary of a police officer.
	Development and piloting of a sentence information system for England and Wales.
	Pathfinder study into the Government's target for persistent offenders.
	Evaluation of pilot schemes for the early involvement of the Crown Prosecution Service
	Bringing Repeat Young Offenders To Justice Study
	Evaluation of the Crown Prosecution Service Pilot Scheme—Stage 2
	Alternatives to transcripts of video taped interviews with vulnerable witnesses.
	The use of external consultants has helped the Department to successfully deliver projects across the office, which has resulted in improved business processes. A further benefit has been the transfer of specialist skill and knowledge, otherwise not available in house, to staff.

Parliamentary Questions

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham on 7 January 2004, reference 147368, on overcrowding and poor conditions in prisons.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 15 July 2004
	I replied to the hon. Member on 18 October 2004, Official Report, column 486W.

Crime

David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many occurrences of each category of crime there have been in Bournemouth in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: Bournemouth is a Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership
	(CDRP) area. The data available centrally is for six key offences and is available only from 1999–2000. See attached tables.
	
		Table 1: Recorded offences in Bournemouth CDRP—1997–98 to 2001–02
		
			 Period Violence against the person Sexual offences Robbery Burglary in a dwelling Theft of a vehicle Theft from a vehicle 
		
		
			 1997–98 (12)— (12)— (12)— (12)— (12)— (12)— 
			 1998–99 (12)— (12)— (12)— (12)— (12)— (12)— 
			 1999–00 1,271 118 143 1,391 1,386 3,082 
			 2000–01 1,456 113 188 1,216 1,089 2,584 
			 2001–02 1,732 168   959 2,955 
		
	
	(12) Not available.
	Note: The data in this table is prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.
	
		Table 2: Recorded offences in Bournemouth CDRP—2002–03 and 2003–04
		
			 Period Violence against the person Sexual offences Robbery Burglary in a dwelling Theft of a vehicle Theft from a vehicle 
		
		
			 2002–03 2,991 200 275 1,227 923 2,954 
			 2003–04 3,294 256 284 1,463 952 2,565 
		
	
	Note: The data in this table takes account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

Crime

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken from arrest to trial for young offenders was in (a) Yorkshire and the Humber and (b) York in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2003–04.

Paul Goggins: The figures we collect are the average number of days from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders, by police force area. The figures for the years concerned are:
	
		
			  1997 2003–04 
		
		
			 Humberside 129 68 
			 North Yorkshire 125 57 
			 South Yorkshire 134 66 
			 West Yorkshire 149 73

Crime

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were committed in (a) North Yorkshire and (b) England and Wales in 2003; and what percentage resulted in (i) an arrest, (ii) an individual being charged, (iii) a conviction and (iv) a custodial sentence in each case.

Paul Goggins: Recorded crime data is published on a financial year basis. The latest information relates to 2003/04 and shows that there were 71,473 recorded crimes in North Yorkshire, and 5,934,580 such crimes in England and Wales as a whole.
	Arrests and court proceedings data relate to offenders. They are not directly comparable with the recorded crime statistics and it is not therefore possible to provide comparable percentage figures.
	Table 1 gives the available information for those arrested in 2002 and Table 2 gives details of the numbers of defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced to immediate imprisonment.
	
		Table 1: Persons arrested for notifiable offences as recorded by the police for 2002
		
			 Police force area Persons 
		
		
			 North Yorkshire 20,443 
			 England and Wales (estimated) 1,308,800 
		
	
	Note: Not all forces have been able to supply the information to the detail required and in a few cases no information at all. Estimates have therefore been made to provide a national figure.
	Source:
	OCJG/RDS (M&SDC 299A-04) 12 October 2004
	
		Table 2: Number of defendants proceeded against at the magistrates' courts and found guilty and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for all offences, North Yorkshire police force area and England and Wales 2002(13)
		
			  Proceeded against Found guilty Sentenced to immediate custody 
		
		
			 North Yorkshire PFA 19,170 13,834 1,010 
			 England and Wales 1,924,828 1,421,285 111,607 
		
	
	(13) These data are on the principal offence basis.

Physical Restraint Techniques

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many training sessions in physical restraint techniques for staff have been carried out in each secure training centre in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The information is not available in the form requested. All custodial staff in secure training centres must be certified as custody officers by the Home Secretary. To gain certification, they must undergo appropriate training, including training in Physical Control in Care, the restraint technique used in secure training centres. Additionally, the providers of secure training centres are contractually obliged to provide regular refresher training in restraint techniques.

Custodial Sentences

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of (a) parents aged between 18 and 25 years and (b) all other individuals convicted of crimes were sentenced to a custodial sentence in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: It is not possible, in the court proceedings statistics collected centrally, to identify persons who are parents, but the following table shows persons aged 18 to 25 who were convicted and sentenced for indictable offences and the number and percentage who received a custodial sentence compared with persons of other ages.
	
		Persons sentenced for indictable offences at all courts and those receiving immediate custody, by age, England and Wales, 1998 to 2002
		
			  Persons aged 18 to 25 years Persons of other ages 
			   Sentenced to custody  Sentenced to custody 
			  Total sentenced Number Percentage Total sentenced Number Percentage 
		
		
			 1998 136,091 32,370 23.8 203,545 44,942 22.1 
			 1999 134,842 33,121 24.6 205,462 46,667 22.7 
			 2000 129,154 34,029 26.3 195,728 46,755 23.9 
			 2001 126,965 33,889 26.7 194,901 46,384 23.8 
			 2002 128,915 34,911 27.1 206,608 50,240 24.3 
		
	
	Statistics on court proceedings for 2003 will be published in November.

Departmental Expenditure

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by his Department on (a) headhunters and recruitment consultants and (b) management consultants in each of the last eight years.

Fiona Mactaggart: (a) Information on the cost to the Home Office of headhunters or recruitment consultants in each of the last eight financial years is not held centrally, to obtain this information would incur disproportionate costs.
	(b) The available information held by the Home Office on the cost of management consultants to the Department in each of the last eight financial years is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1996–97 n/a 
			 1997–98 7,627,016 
			 1999–2000 10,302,672 
			 2000–01 27,877,286 
			 2001–02 21,147,058 
			 2002–03 n/a 
		
	
	We do not hold information on the cost to the Home Office of using external consultants for 1996–97 and to obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost.
	The increase in expenditure on consultancy in 2000–01 was due to a major investment programme in the modernisation of the Home Office and in particular on IT related modernisation.
	The high spend figures for 2001–02 includes costs on a wide variety of Immigration and Nationality Directorate projects, the cost of setting up the National Probation Directorate and various consultancies on IT business change in both the Home Office and its Executive agencies.
	Following the National Audit Office report "Purchasing Professional Services" the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) issued guidance that re-defined consultancy to include the purchasing of all professional services and not just management consultancy. Information on the cost of consultants to the Home Office for the financial year 2002–03 was not collected centrally in order that the new OGC definition of consultancy could be embedded into Home Office policy.
	Information for the financial year 2003–04 is currently being collated but is not yet available.

Ministers' Private Offices

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the running costs of Ministers' private offices in his Department have been in each year since 1997.

David Blunkett: Running costs for my Department, Ministers' offices, the private office management support unit and parliamentary secretariat for each year from 1997 were as follows:
	
		£
		
			  Pay costs Running costs 
		
		
			 1997–98 1,551,644 572,622 
			 1998–99 1,566,018 1,202,633 
			 1999–2000 1,619,459 791,588 
			 2000–01 1,223,794 841,809 
			 2001–02 1,643,622 943,022 
		
	
	The running costs for the whole of private office, including the non-ministerial offices in 2002–03 was £5,176,925. The figure for 2003–04 was £5,552,690 which represented 0.05 per cent. of the total Home Office budget for that period.
	Changes in financial recording systems from 2001 mean that it is no longer possible, without disproportionate cost, to separate the costs of ministerial from non-ministerial offices and figures provided after 2001–02 are therefore not directly comparable with earlier figures.

Police

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are in place to prevent overlap between the work of the Police Standards Unit and the National Centre for Policing Excellence.

Hazel Blears: The Police Standards Unit (PSU) and the National Centre for Policing Excellence (NCPE) have different and complementary roles with limited overlap between their work.
	PSU seeks to improve policing performance through performance monitoring and measurement, for example through the Policing Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF), and through targeted support for police forces.
	NCPE seeks to encourage continuous professional development and inform high standards of police practice through its work on doctrine. As part of Centrex (the Central Police Training and Development Authority), for which the Home Office is the sponsor Department, NCPE also offers specialist and technical learning and development courses in a number of areas.
	Both organisations have an interest in developing good practice in policing.
	This co-ordination is being driven forward by 'Improving Performance through Applied Knowledge' (IPAK). The programme is structured to avoid overlaps or gaps between the work of NCPE and PSU. Key stakeholders of the programme also include Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and Sir David Phillips, the NCPE Director, is a member of the IPAK Programme Board.
	At a working level, PSU works closely with NCPE on a variety of areas. For example, the NCPE guidance to the police on the management of volume crime is explicitly intended to sit above the PSU tactical guidance on dealing with domestic burglary, street robbery and vehicle crime.

Police

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action has been taken to tackle racist attitudes within the police service.

Hazel Blears: Tackling racist attitudes remains a high priority for both the Government and the police service.
	New assessment procedures for police recruitment have been put in place which test candidates' attitudes to race and diversity at least seven times across the process, including at interview. Those who do not score sufficiently highly in the competency "Respect for Race and Diversity" are not offered a job—irrespective of how well they do in the rest of the selection process. Candidates are also rejected automatically if, at any time during the recruitment process, they behave or speak inappropriately. Although no assessment and selection system is infallible, we have made the procedure as robust as possible in order to identify and root out racists and others with unacceptable attitudes.
	The Police Service will also be rolling out a new probationer learning and development programme from April next year. The training will be based in the community and probationers will need to demonstrate their understanding and knowledge and carry out their tasks with due regard to community relationships and diversity.
	Learning and development for police officers and police staff is also seen as central to tackling racist attitudes in the police service. Under a new Strategy for Improving Police Performance in Race and Diversity, which has been agreed by all the key stakeholders, and which will be published in November 2004, individuals will be made responsible for their performance in this area. Individual performance will be assessed against National Occupational Standards relating to race and diversity and through the Performance and Development Review process. Learning resources, which take into account an individual's rank or role and local policing environment, will be used with the aim of developing the individual's knowledge, understanding, skills, attitudes and behaviour in this area.

Police

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether an assessment has been made of the (a) merits and (b) effects of the career break system for police officers.

Hazel Blears: I have asked the independent secretariat of the Police Negotiating Board to advise on how best to evaluate the operation of the scheme.

Police

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what alternatives to the current 43-force structure are being assessed.

Hazel Blears: Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary have been commissioned to look at the issue of force structures and will report to my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary in early 2005. The focus of this work is to gather an evidence base for whether any changes are needed.

Police

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much council tax revenue will be spent on police services in the West Midlands in 2004–05.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 4 November 2004
	The West Midlands police authority will raise £61.3 million through the police precept on council tax in 2004–05. The final net budget requirement, most of which is funded by police grant, is £460.6 million.

Prisons

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 23 March 2004, Official Report, column 820W, what further compensation payments have been made to meet claims arising from HMP Wormwood Scrubs.

Paul Goggins: A full list of payments is set out in the following table. Figures are not yet available, in all cases, for legal costs. The figures do not include claims for loss of property or accidents.
	
		£
		
			  Date of incident Amount Costs 
		
		
			 1 3 September 1997 30,000 62,760 
			 2 21 May 1993 9,000 26,700 
			 3 15 March 1998 42,000 24,500 
			 4 4 May 1996 20,000 19,400 
			 5 8 October 1997 22,000 23,500 
			 6 16 August 1995 to 18 September 1995 100,500 — 
			 7 24 February 1997 20,000 34,000 
			 8 Unknown 2,000 — 
			 9 7 August 1995 24,500 29,500 
			 10 8 November 1997 28,000 15,845 
			 11 15 May 1997 23,250 — 
			 12 1 July 1998 20,000 21,873 
			 13 14 April 1995 71,560 16,500 
			 14 Unknown 16,500 — 
			 15 21 May 1998 20,000 21,000 
			 16 Unknown 18,000 35,540 
			 17 8 April 1994 25,000 — 
			 18 November 1997 to January 1998 24,000 18,717 
			 19 22 November 1994 8,000 — 
			 20 Unknown 22,000 — 
			 21 23 February 1998 22,500 — 
			 22 Unknown 2,000 4,850 
			 23 15 November 1992 22,000 15,147 
			 24 Unknown 19,000 — 
			 25 Unknown 4,000 6,977 
			 26 Unknown 2,000 — 
			 27 16 September 1997 22,500 — 
			 28 1 February 1996 20,000 40,500 
			 29 15 April 1998 20,000 6,000 
			 30 Unknown 10,000 9,125 
			 31 Unknown 23,000 — 
			 32 27 July 1996 41,000 — 
			 33 Unknown 27,000 45,000 
			 34 8 October 1997 25,000 — 
			 35 Unknown 19,000 — 
			 36 31 July 2002 20,000 — 
			 37 20 August 1997 24,000 — 
			 38 18 October 1996 to 1 October 1997 55,000 — 
			 39 4 February 1998 32,500 — 
			 40 20 November 1995 17,000 13,500 
			 41 Unknown 64,425 — 
			 42 24 September 1999 27,000 — 
			 43 Unknown 6,500 15,603 
			 44 July 1996 20,000 — 
			 45 3 to 7 July 1996 55,000 — 
			 46 20 to 28 January 1994 13,500 17,400 
			 47 Unknown 21,000 — 
			 48 7 January 1998 5,000 4,594 
			 49 Unknown 16,000 — 
			 50 Unknown 16,250 — 
			 51 4 June 1996 33,750 — 
			 52 Unknown 15,000 30,000 
			 53 21 May 1998 20,000 7,313 
			 54 Unknown 25,000 — 
			 55 12 September 1996 and 13 January 1998 13,000 — 
			 56 3 June 1996 14,000 13,400 
			 Total  1,339,235 579,243

Prisons

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions prisons have used video-link equipment in each of the last five years; and which prisons have video-link facilities.

Paul Goggins: Records on the use of video links for court hearings are only available from December 2002. Video links have been used on the following occasions:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 December 2002 1,790 
			 January-December 2003 32,100 
			 January-September 2004 28,025 
		
	
	Video links facilities are available in the following 57 prisons:
	Prisons with video links facilities
	HMP Altcourse
	HMP/YOI Ashfield
	HMP Bedford
	HMP Belmarsh
	HMP Birmingham
	HMP Blakenhurst
	HMYOI Brinsford
	HMP Bristol
	HMP Brixton
	HMP Brockhill
	HMP Bullingdon
	HMP Cardiff
	HMP/YOI Castington
	HMP/YOI Chelmsford
	HMP/YOI Doncaster
	HMP Dorchester
	HMP Durham
	HMP/YOI Eastwood Park
	HMP Edmunds Hill
	HMP Elmley
	HMP/YOI Exeter
	HMP/YOI Feltham
	HMP/YOI Forest Bank
	HMYOI/RC Glen Parva
	HMP/YOI Gloucester
	HMP Highdown
	HMYOI Hindley
	HMP/YOI Holloway
	HMP Holme House
	HMP Hull
	HMP/YOI Lancaster Farm
	HMP Leeds
	HMP Leicester
	HMP/YOI Lewes
	HMP Lincoln
	HMP Liverpool
	HMYOI Low Newton
	HMP Manchester
	HMP/YOI New Hall
	HMP/YOI Norwich
	HMP Nottingham
	HMYOI Onley
	HMP/YOI Parc
	HMP Parkhurst
	HMP Pentonville
	HMP Preston
	HMYOI/RC Reading
	HMP Shrewsbury
	HMYOI Stoke Heath
	HMP/YOI Styal
	HMP Swansea
	HMP Wakefield (operational from January 2005)
	HMP Wandsworth
	HMYOI Wetherby
	HMP Winchester
	HMP Woodhill
	HMP Wormwood Scrubs

Prisons

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans there are to build new prisons in the next two years.

Paul Goggins: There are currently a number of projects under way to increase the operational capacity of the prison estate. These include the building of a new prison, Her Majesty's Prison Peterborough, which is due to open in March 2005 as well as new accommodation at existing prisons. The National Offender Management Service has purchased two sites at Ashworth and Belmarsh for which there is outline planning consent for new prisons.

RAF Fairford (Protests)

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence he has of the number of cudgels taken by protesters to RAF Fairford as described in answer to Oral Questions 59 to 61 of evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 11 September 2003.

David Blunkett: As I made clear in my answers to the Home Affairs Committee, the powers under the section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 are intended to allow the police to seize offensive weapons where they believe serious violence may take place. I cannot comment further on particular cases, some of which are subject to appeal. I understand however that a range of items were seized from protesters using section 60. Contrary to my understanding at the time, I now understand that these did not include cudgels.

Restricted Alcohol Scheme (Romford)

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of (a) the effectiveness of the restricted alcohol zone in Romford town centre and (b) impact of the restricted zone on surrounding areas.

Hazel Blears: Initial indications indicate a drop in disorder as a result of the Restricted Alcohol Zone in Romford. The effectiveness of the zone is being monitored with the initial six month evaluation due to be completed at the end of November. I am not aware that the restricted alcohol zone has impacted on the surrounding areas.

Road Safety

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have taken place for misuse of a mobile phone while driving.

Paul Goggins: Using a hand-held mobile phone became a specific offence on 1 December 2003. Data by police action (written warnings, fixed penalty notices and court proceedings) for 2003 will not be available until early 2005.
	2004 data is expected to be published in autumn 2005.

Sex Offenders

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women are registered on the sex offenders register.

Paul Goggins: An overview of the 2003–04 Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) annual reports, available in the Library, states that on 31 March 2004 there were 24,572 registered sex offenders living in the community. It is not possible to state the gender breakdown of these statistics.

Terrorism Act

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what representations he has received regarding the use of police powers under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the ethnic breakdown of individuals subject to stop and search under the Terrorism Act 2000;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

David Blunkett: The Government believes that the powers under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 are essential in the on-going fight against terrorism. As part of a structured counter-terrorist strategy, their use helps to deter and disrupt terrorist activity.
	For the period 2001–02 and 2002–03, the ethnic breakdown of individuals stopped and searched in England and Wales under sections 44 (1) and (2) of the Terrorism Act 2000 is as follows:
	
		
			  Number of s.44 (1) and (2) stops and searches 2001–02 Percentage of those stopped and searched under s.44 Number of s.44 (1) and (2) stops and searches 2002–03 Percentage of those stopped and searched under s.44 
		
		
			 Black 529 6.19 1,745 8.09 
			 Asian 744 8.7 2,989 13.85 
			 White 6,629 77.53 14,429 66.87 
			 Other 358 4.19 1,259 5.83 
			 Not recorded 260 3.04 1,155 5.35 
			 Total 8,550  21,557  
		
	
	Source:
	Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System 2003 http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/s95race2003.pdf
	The increasing use made of section 44 powers over the above two year period is the result of the heightened threat to the UK from international terrorism following the events of 11 September 2001, and the subsequent rise in the number and scale of police counter-terrorist operations.
	It is essential that our policing and counter-terrorism powers are used with the support of all communities and that we are able to actively demonstrate that these powers are not directed at or against Muslims or Islam, or any individual community. We are therefore formulating an outreach programme to explain counter-terrorism powers more fully. This work will involve the building of significant and productive relationships through regular meetings with key opinion formers in religious and ethnic communities, and by undertaking a comprehensive programme of visits by senior officials to those communities to explain the purpose and operation of our counter-terrorism powers.
	In addition, the Stop and Search Action team, formed from within the Home Office, has been established to review the use of all stop and search powers, including the use of section 44 powers. It receives advice and scrutiny from a Community Panel with representatives from various community groups and a Delivery Board evolved from the Lawrence Steering Group sub-group on stop and search.

Terrorism Act

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions an individual has been held in detention for 14 days under the Terrorism Act 2000.

David Blunkett: Police records show that since 20 January 2004, when the maximum period available to police to detain suspects without charge under the Terrorism Act 2000 was increased from seven to 14 days, 25 persons have been detained for periods between seven and 14 days.
	The extension reflects the evolution of the methodology and equipment available to terrorists over recent years. Police are now required to undertake a number of time consuming activities relating to evidence gathering, including testing the chemical substances found on or with suspects, examining hard drives of computers, and the detailed work required to establish the identity of suspects.
	The safeguards built into Schedule 8 of the Act remain in place and cover areas including recording of interviews and reviewing grounds for detention.

Terrorism Act

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many confirmations he has authorised regarding the use of section 44 powers under the Terrorism Act 2000.

David Blunkett: An authorisation under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 has to be signed by a police officer of Association of Chief Police Officer rank and submitted to the Home Office. I, or one of my Ministers, has to confirm the authorisation within the 48 hour period specified in the Terrorism Act 2000 or the authorisation lapses.
	
		
			  Authorisations Not confirmed 
		
		
			 2001 259 3 
			 2002 220 0 
			 2003 259 3 
			 2004 180 9

Thailand

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Thailand regarding the prisoner transfer agreement concluded in 1992.

Chris Mullin: I have been asked to reply.
	We review prisoner transfer agreements and their efficacy on a case-by-case basis. The bilateral prisoner transfer agreement with Thailand forms part of the regular discussions that we have with the Government of Thailand about general prisoner welfare issues.

Theft and Fraud

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the cost of theft and fraud to (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information is as follows.
	
		£000
		
			  Fraud and thefts 
			 Accounting period Home Office Agencies NDPB Total 
		
		
			 1997–98 — — — (14)113 
			 1998–99 3.8 114.4 70.1 188.3 
			 1999–2000 204.3 165.4 0.0 369.7 
			 2000–01 79.8 84.4 0.0 164.2 
			 2001–02 12.1 121.3 9.0 142.4 
			 2002–03 68.6 95.1 8.2 171.9 
			 2003–04 123.1 30.2 57.7 211 
		
	
	(14) Analysis between Home Office, Executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies cannot be provided.
	The Home Office has an Anti Fraud and Corruption Strategy that is based upon increasing the awareness of staff, use of cost effective methods to inhibit fraud and corruption and establishing procedures to respond effectively to incidents of alleged fraud including the provision of confidential "hot lines". The Department's overall security arrangements provide the basis for combating theft, supported by reminders to staff about preventative measures available to them. Individual line managers are responsible for combating fraud, corruption and theft in their own areas.
	The totals represented here account for just 0.001 per cent. of the Home Office's £15 billion annual budget.

Wildlife Crime

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to classify wildlife crime as recordable.

Hazel Blears: Crimes in the notifiable offence list, and therefore in the coverage of the police recorded crime statistics, are normally limited to indictable and triable either way offences (i.e. those that can be tried in the crown court). Most wildlife crimes are summary offences, but if such instances come to the attention of the police, then they will be subject to the National Standard for Incident Recording, which is currently being piloted. Statistics are available for the number of suspects being proceeded against in the courts for wildlife offences.

Wildlife Crime

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish detailed proposals to reduce the level of wildlife crime.

Hazel Blears: We are currently considering the conclusions and recommendations of the Environmental Audit Committee's Report on Wildlife Crime published on 2 October 2004. Our response to the Committee is due by 6 December 2004.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Casinos/Amusements

John Battle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many planning applications put to local authorities in England and Wales for (a) amusement arcades and (b) casinos which have been (i) objected to by (A) local residents and (B) local elected councillors and (ii) opposed by the local authority planning committee have been approved in the last year; and if he will make a statement.

Keith Hill: Information about the numbers of planning applications for specific proposals received by English and Welsh local authorities which have been objected to by local residents and locally elected councillors is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	In cases where the local planning authority have not approved an application, and the applicant has appealed to the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, the appeal is heard by the Planning Inspectorate. In the last year (September 2003 to October 2004) the Inspectorate received:
	(a) 19 appeals for development of amusement arcades. Of these, five were withdrawn, five were allowed, the rest are awaiting decision.
	(b) Casinos lie within Use Class D2. The Inspectorate records appeals under this heading rather than the individual use. There were 22 D2 appeals, of which two were withdrawn, six were allowed, five dismissed, and the remaining nine await a decision.

Commercial Property Leases (Consultation)

Matthew Green: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many responses the Department received to its consultation paper on commercial property leases: options for deterring or outlawing the use of upward only rent review clauses, broken down by (a) representative organisations, (b) landlords and (c) property occupiers.

Keith Hill: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 4 November 2004, Official Report, column 435W.

Compulsory Purchase

Liam Byrne: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance has been circulated to local authorities in England concerning the issue of compulsory purchase orders where ownership of a particular site is in dispute or unknown.

Keith Hill: The ability of an acquiring authority to acquire land compulsorily is not affected by the fact that the land is in unknown or disputed ownership.
	Part 1 of the Memorandum to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Circular 06/2004 "Compulsory Purchase and the Crichel Down Rules" (replacing predecessor CPO circulars) provides guidance to acquiring authorities in England on the use of compulsory purchase powers. Appendix U to Part 1 of the Memorandum to the Circular includes advice on how land in unknown or disputed ownership should be included in an order. Appendix T to Part 1 of the Memorandum to the Circular also refers to the procedure for notification of the making of an order in respect of land in unknown ownership at section 6(4) of the Acquisition of Land Act 1981.

Departmental Publications

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the Department's target is for the interval between publication of (a) departmental announcements and documents and (b) material published by public bodies for which his Department has oversight and their posting online; and what the average interval was of the latest year for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister aims to publish departmental announcements and documents online simultaneously with printed publications. Typically online content is published on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website on the same day as the printed publication.

Fair Trade

Paul Burstow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether it is his policy to ensure that hospitality within his Department is sourced from fair trade producers wherever possible within the boundaries set by the public procurement rules.

Phil Hope: The purchasing policy of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister reflects the Government's value for money policy and the EC procurement rules, which require the procurement of goods and services to be based on value for money and acquired by competition, unless there are convincing reasons to the contrary, and the objectives of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
	Fair trade products are widely available in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The restaurants sell fair trade products including coffee, tea and chocolate bars. The catering menus include options that allow for fair trade tea and coffee to be provided, on request, for official meetings and conferences.

Green Belt

Liam Byrne: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what reports he has received of sites designated as green belt wedge within a unitary development plan being redeveloped for community sports and recreation uses.

Keith Hill: In the first instance, all new development proposals are considered by the local planning authority, having regard to relevant policies in the adopted development plan for the area and any other material considerations. The First Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister is notified when the local planning authority is minded to grant planning permission for development that does not accord with the development plan. Such 'departures' from the plan should include applications for inappropriate development in the green belt.
	Since 2001 the following planning applications in the West Midlands region involving development of community sports and recreation uses on green belt land have been referred to the First Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister as departures from the development plan:
	Little Aston Parish Hall, Lichfield—replacement village hall
	Smestow Bridge Industrial Estate, Wombourne, South Staffordshire—conversion of industrial unit to health and fitness centre
	Wye Road Community Centre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire—extension and alterations to existing community centre
	St. James Church, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire—extension to church community hall
	Three Hammers Golf complex, Coven, South Staffordshire—indoor golf academy
	Friary Grange, Lichfield—recreation centre building, and outdoor multi-purpose activity areas/pitches
	City Technology College, Kingshurst, Solihull—installation of all-weather pitch on area of playing field land
	Leamington Rugby Football Club—extension of existing sports field
	Aston Villa Football Club Training Ground, Bodymoor, North Warwickshire—indoor pitch and block including changing facilities
	Nuneaton Football Club, Nuneaton, Warwickshire—new football stadium and associated development
	Woodlands School, Coventry—new sports hall, pavilion and floodlit pitches
	Allard Way, Coventry—outdoor pitches with indoor recreation and community facilities
	Dosthill Lake, Kingsbury, North Warwickshire—water ski and nature conservation centre
	Wasthills Playing Fields, Bromsgrove—all weather sports pitch
	Abbey Stadium, Birmingham Road, Redditch—athletics stadium, leisure complex.

Green Belt

Liam Byrne: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the legal constraints are on developing sites within an area designated as a green belt wedge within a unitary development plan for community and recreational uses; and what the process is for seeking to revise planning consents for such an initiative.

Keith Hill: Development proposals are subject to the provisions of planning legislation. Most new development requires planning permission. It is for the local planning authority in the first instance to determine planning applications. Section 38 (6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires that planning applications shall be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
	In preparing their development plan the local planning authority should have regard to national Planning Policy Guidance on Green Belts (PPG2). PPG2 makes clear that there is a general presumption against inappropriate development in the green belt, which should not be approved, except in very special circumstances. It is for the applicant to demonstrate that very special circumstances exist which clearly outweigh the harm that inappropriate development would cause to the green belt.
	The construction of new buildings within a designated green belt is inappropriate development, except in certain circumstances as set in PPG2. For example, where the new buildings would provide essential facilities for outdoor sport and outdoor recreation, the development would not be inappropriate.
	Once planning permission has been granted for a development, generally only the courts can set it aside. However, where outline planning permission has been granted for a new building, the applicant must still apply to the local planning authority for approval of the details of the scheme, known as reserved matters. In these circumstances, the authority may attach conditions to the consent covering details such as siting and design. What is proposed in detail must be consistent with the outline permission. Otherwise a fresh application will need to be made.

Housing Renewal (Birmingham)

Liam Byrne: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on projected capital investment in housing renewal in Birmingham, Hodge Hill in each of the next four years.

Keith Hill: Mainstream capital funding for housing investment from central Government is allocated in all cases to the strategic housing authority, which in the case of Hodge Hill is Birmingham city council. It is the responsibility of the city council to determine the strategic priorities for investment within the Birmingham area.
	Annual capital housing allocations
	Provisional housing capital allocations for 2005–06 were announced in December 2003, and the allocation for Birmingham city council was £35.082 million.
	Included in the 2005–06 total is £3.271 million allocated to a Birmingham-led consortium of west midlands housing authorities, to focus specifically on improvements in private sector housing.
	The confirmation of the 2005–06 allocations is expected in December 2004, and provisional allocations for 2006–07 and 2007–08 are expected to be announced in December 2005. No date is yet fixed for 2008–09 allocations.
	Major repairs allowance (MRA)
	Authorities with council housing stock receive the major repairs allowance (MRA), which is an annual subsidy calculated according to the number of dwellings and the estimated annual investment requirement for depreciation and on-going repairs.
	The MRA is generally announced as part of the Housing Revenue Account. Determinations are made in December each year, and so the figure for 2005–06 is not yet available.
	The allowance is re-calculated each year to take account of changes in the number of dwellings, and the projected costs of capital repairs, but as a guide the 2004–05 allowance for Birmingham city council was £39.036 million.
	Other housing funding
	Funding for a housing market renewal area feasibility study
	The announcement of regional housing capital allocations in December 2003 included a separate sum of £1.66 million for 2005–06 (as well as £1 million in 2004–05) to take forward a research project, to be commissioned by the Regional Housing Board, to test the feasibility of developing a housing market renewal initiative in East Birmingham/North Solihull.
	Housing Corporation
	The Housing Corporation allocates the annual Office of the Deputy Prime Minister funding for registered social landlords (RSLs) for provision of new supported and affordable housing, with a small element of renewal investment. This funding goes directly to individual RSLs, which typically have a number of sites and projects across a number of local authorities. It is not therefore possible to identify separately what level of funding will be going into the Hodge Hill area.

Housing Renewal (Birmingham)

Liam Byrne: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the funding streams from which Birmingham city council might access capital investment for housing renewal over the next four years; and through which organisational options such funding might be delivered.

Keith Hill: Birmingham city council can access external funding streams for housing renewal investment, and in addition has the flexibility to access certain corporate funding streams for investment in housing renewal as set out.
	External funding
	West Midlands Regional Housing Board—makes recommendations to Ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for the annual allocations of capital housing funding to local authorities. Allocations for 2004–05 and provisional allocations for 2005–06 were announced in December 2003. The confirmed allocation for 2005–06 will be announced in December 2004, and allocations for the following two years (2006–07 and 2007–08) are expected to be announced in December 2005.
	Major Repairs Allowance (MRA)—The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's funding stream direct to local authorities to meet the ongoing capital investment needs of council housing stock. The level of funding is reviewed annually, and announced around December each year.
	North West Birmingham Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder "Urban Living" —The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's funding for housing renewal in a defined area in North West Birmingham and Sandwell MBC and is administered through the Urban Living Project Board. Funding for the first two years of the 10 to 15 year project was announced in July 2004.
	English Partnerships—are strategic partners in the North West Birmingham/Sandwell Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder "Urban Living", and have committed to invest resources into Pathfinder projects during the first two years of the initiative (2004–05 and 2005–06)
	Housing Corporation—allocates the annual the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Approved Development Programme (ADP) to Registered Social Landlords for provision of new supported and affordable housing, with a small element of renewal investment. Allocations for 2004–05 and 2005–06 were announced in December 2003, with the following two years expected to be announced in December 2005.
	New Deal for Communities—The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's funding for two renewal initiatives in Birmingham (Aston and Kings Norton) to tackle a range of deprivation issues, including those related to housing and the physical environment.
	The NDC Partnership Board in each area administers funding over the life of the project up to March 2011.
	Corporate Resources
	Single Capital Pot (SCP)—all local authorities have flexibility in how they allocate corporately their annual Government capital allocations for the four key service areas of housing, education, social services, and transport.
	Right to buy receipts—all local authorities have flexibility in how they allocate corporately receipts from the sale of council houses under the "Right to Buy" provisions.
	Capital receipts from housing or land disposal—local authorities have flexibility in how they allocate these funds corporately.
	Planning gain—SI06 Commuted Sums—through the planning system local authorities can require developers to provide either social housing or local amenities on site, or to provide monies in lieu of housing/amenities— these are known as "commuted sums". Local authorities have flexibility in how they allocate these funds corporately.
	Prudential borrowing—a freedom introduced through the Local Government Act 2003, effective from April 2004, enabling local authorities to undertake borrowing through any source.

Local Authority Housing

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much funding in grants has been paid to local authorities that have surrendered their housing stock.

Keith Hill: £157 million—£6 million for homelessness services and the rest for capital programmes—was provided in grants and other funding in 2003–04 to support housing spend by local authorities in England that had transferred their housing stock to a housing association or other registered social landlord by the start of the financial year. Authorities can also fund spend on homelessness and housing services (other than for council housing) from general Revenue Support Grant. In addition to this some £207 million was made available in 2003–04 for provision of affordable housing in these authorities through the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme.

Low-cost Housing

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Housing Corporation requires housing associations bidding for Approved Development Programme funding for new low cost home ownership schemes to provide information on the (a) ethnicity, (b) type of needs met and (c) size of household of people being housed.

Keith Hill: The Housing Corporation's Guide to the Allocation Process 2004–05 and 2005–06 sets out the information that housing associations are expected to provide as part of their bid for Approved Development Programme (ADP) funding. This includes information on the number of units, the number of persons and the type of household (e.g. family) as well as that on the ethnic client groups for which the scheme is intended to provide accommodation.

Low-cost Housing

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will break down the 569 low cost home ownership units planned for Tower Hamlets in the Housing Corporation's 2004–06 Approved Development Programme by (a) one-bed, (b) two-bed, (c) three-bed and (d) four-bed or more;
	(2)  if he will break down the 569 low cost home ownership units planned for Tower Hamlets in the Housing Corporation's 2004–06 Approved Development Programme by (a) commercial-shared ownership, (b) do-it-yourself shared ownership, (c) Homebuy and (d) other forms of low cost home ownership.

Keith Hill: The Housing Corporation have so far allocated resources to fund a total of 678 low cost home ownership units in Tower Hamlets over the years 2004–06. Of these 310 are conventional shared ownership, 348 are Key Worker Shared ownership. The remaining 20 are Homebuy Market Purchase. The corporation has not funded do-it-yourself shared ownership schemes through the Approved Development Programme (ADP) since 1999–2000.
	The following table shows the split of low cost homeownership schemes by one, two, three and four or more bedrooms. The figure for Homebuy Market Purchase cannot be broken down until the individual properties are purchased.
	
		Low cost home ownership in Tower Hamlets
		
			  Dwellings One-bed Two-bed Three-bed Four-bed 
		
		
			 Homebuy Market Purchase 20 n/k n/k n/k n/k 
			 Keyworker Shared ownership 348 128 213 7 0 
			 Shared ownership 310 113 195 2 0 
			 Total 678 241 408 9 0

Low-cost Housing

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many shared ownership properties were sold in Tower Hamlets in each year since 1997; and how many of those properties were purchased by (a) a person in social housing in that area, (b) a person on the single housing register in that area and (c) a key worker.

Keith Hill: Estimates of annual shared ownership sales in Tower Hamlets from 1997–98 to 2003–04 are tabled as follows:
	
		
			  Total shared ownership (SO) sales in Tower Hamlets SO sales to people who were previously social tenants in Tower Hamlets SO sales to purchasers who were registered on a local authority waiting list/common housing register 
		
		
			 1997–98 76 14 23 
			 1998–99 29 5 10 
			 1999–2000 95 21 41 
			 2000–01 17 1 8 
			 2001–02 92 15 27 
			 2002–03 64 11 24 
			 2003–04 22 1 7 
		
	
	Note:
	The occupation of purchasers was not collected as part of CORE Sales during the period 1997–98 to 2003–04. Consequently it is not possible to provide figures on the number of key workers that bought shared ownership properties in Tower Hamlets during this period.
	Source:
	Housing Corporation: CORE Sales

Thames Gateway Development (Police)

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the number of additional (a) police stations and (b) police officers which will be required under the Government's plan for an additional 120,000 houses to be built between 2003 and 2016 in the Thames Gateway.

Keith Hill: The Government's agenda for an additional 120,000 homes in the Thames Gateway includes 80,000 homes already committed in the planning system. It therefore entails an additional 40,000 homes spread across the London, Essex and Kent Gateway areas.
	The Thames Gateway sub-region covers three separate police forces—the Metropolitan police and the Essex and Kent forces. Policing policy falls under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of State for Home Affairs, but the management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for each Chief Constable and police authority, who will make decisions according to local operational plans and priorities.
	General grants funding for police authorities is allocated on the basis of relative need, with resident population forming the most significant single factor in this assessment. It is a matter for the Chief Constable and police authority of each force to determine budget requirement and allocate resources in accordance with local operational priorities.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Home Office will work together to assist police authorities in planning future needs, for example, by providing forecasts of population changes in the Thames Gateway. General police grants are calculated using a formula weighted largely on population estimates, with the management and allocation of these resources being matters that are decided locally.

Regional Fire Control Centres

Hugo Swire: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he will fund the move of regional brigades to a centralised regional fire control centre; and whether the costs of such a relocation will be taken out of the brigades' existing budget.

Nick Raynsford: There are no current proposals to create regional fire and rescue authorities or brigades. The creation of regional fire and rescue control centres will lead to considerable efficiencies and improved resilience. However if, during the transition period, authorities incur a net additional expense, new burdens principles will apply. The new burdens principle means that, where a central government department's policies or initiatives lead to a net increase in the cost of providing local authority services, Government will fund the additional expenditure, provided that the
	aggregate value all department's burdens across all local authorities in England in any financial year is greater than £100,000.

Regional Fire Control Centres

Hugo Swire: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he has (a) contracted a company to design a building for a regional fire control centre for the South West and (b) estimated how many people would be working in such a building; what type of equipment will be needed in such a building; and whether outline planning permission has been sought for this building.

Nick Raynsford: A generic design for the regional control centres (RCCs) has been developed in consultation with fire and rescue service staff by a professional design team. The developer selected to build the RCC in each region will be required to complete the design to reflect local requirements, including site conditions and planning.
	Work is in progress on staffing models for the RCCs. The number of staff to be employed in each RCC will vary regionally, reflecting different demand levels.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is undertaking a major procurement under the EU's 'Negotiated Procedure' rules to provide modern, high quality technology, including integrated command and communications systems, mobilising and resource management system, GIS and gazetteer, and an automatic vehicle location system, for each RCC. The procurement will also provide networking equipment to connect together the RCCs, creating a national resilient network.
	Planning status was one of the criteria for site location.

Right to Buy

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what changes the Government has made to right to buy (a) discounts and (b) eligibility in England since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Keith Hill: Following consultation, the Government reduced maximum Right to Buy discounts in February 1999 to levels that reflected more closely the actual cost of buying a home in each of the nine English regions. The previous nationwide limit of £50,000 was replaced by nine regional limits:
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 London, South East 38,000 
			 Eastern 34,000 
			 South West 30,000 
			 North West, West Midlands 26,000 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands 24,000 
			 North East 22,000 
		
	
	In March 2003, the Government reduced to £16,000 the maximum Right to Buy discount available in 41 areas that were under the greatest housing pressure, as evidenced by high levels of homelessness and high local house prices. The position in all 354 local housing authority areas in England was considered. The 41 areas were:
	
		
			 Region Areas 
		
		
			 London All London boroughs except Barking and Dagenham and Havering 
			 South East Chiltern, Epsom and Ewell, Hart, Oxford, Reading, Reigate and Banstead, Tonbridge and Mailing, Vale of White Horse, West Berkshire, 
			 Eastern Watford 
		
	
	The Government has made no changes to eligibility for the Right to Buy. Its Housing Bill, which is currently completing its progress through Parliament, proposes to increase the initial qualification period from two years to five years. Tenants will however qualify for the same percentage of discount after five years as they would have done under the current rules.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Access to Universities

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether he intends to include milestones for individual universities in their access agreements in his annual report to Parliament under Schedule 5 of the Higher Education Act 2004; whether they will otherwise be published by (a) him and the Director General of the Office for Fair Access; and whether comments made by the Director General in respect of milestones for individual universities will be published.

Kim Howells: Access agreements, which will include institutions' own milestones, will be published documents. It is a matter for the Director whether he includes milestones for individual universities in his annual report or whether he publishes any comments he makes on them.

Apprenticeships

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many young people in Bath and North East Somerset are on apprenticeship schemes.

David Miliband: The information requested is only available for local Learning and Skills Council (LSC) areas. In July 2004, there were 2,900 people on Apprenticeships in the West of England LSC area.

CAFCASS

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of separation and divorce cases referred to the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service during 2001/02 and 2002/03 were resolved without a formal court hearing.

Margaret Hodge: The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) does not collect the data requested. However, in many cases, CAFCASS's intervention has helped parties to reach agreement either by consent order or alternative arrangements so that parties have not proceeded to formal court hearings.

Child Care (Cleethorpes)

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many child care places there have been in (a) Cleethorpes constituency and (b) Great Grimsby constituency in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: The information is not available in the form requested.
	Figures for 2003 and 2004 are shown in Table 1.
	
		Table 1: Number of day care places1, 2 by type of provider North East Lincolnshire local education authority 2003 and 2004
		
			  Position at 31 March each year 
			  2003 2004 
		
		
			 Full day care 700 1,000 
			 Sessional day care 700 600 
			 Childminders 500 600 
			 Out of school day care 400 500 
			 Crèche day care 60 70 
		
	
	(15) The figures have been rounded.
	(16) Data Source: Ofsted.
	Figures for 1997–2001 are shown in Table 2.
	
		Table 2: Number of day care places1, 2 by type of provider North East Lincolnshire local education area 1997–2001
		
			  Position at 31 March each year 
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Day nurseries 200 300 300 400 500 
			 Playgroups and pre-schools 900 1,000 1,000 800 700 
			 Childminders 500 300 300 300 300 
			 Out of school clubs 40 200 300 200 300 
			 Holiday schemes(19) 0 200 (20)800 (21)200 200 
		
	
	(17) The figures have been rounded.
	(18) Data Source: Children's Day Care Facilities Survey.
	(19) From 1999, places were counted once for each school holiday. Before 1999, places were counted once each year.
	(20) Places may have been counted once rather than once for each school holiday; see 3 above.
	(21) Includes schemes that were exempt from registration.
	The figures for 2003 and 2004 are not directly comparable with the figures for 1997–2001 because the figures for 2003 and 2004 were derived from the Ofsted database of registered child care providers and the figures for 1997–2001 were derived from the Children's Day Care Facilities Survey, which was discontinued in 2001. There are no figures for 2002.
	With the introduction of the National Day Care Standards and the transfer of responsibilities for registration and inspection of childcare providers from local authority social service departments to Ofsted in September 2001; childcare places were classified according to the type of day care provided: full day care, sessional day care, childminder, out of school day care or crèche day care. Ofsted have produced figures based on this classification on a quarterly basis from March 2003. Their latest figures were published on 21 October 2004 in their report "Registered Childcare Providers and Places, 30 September 2004" which is available on their website, www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications
	Up until March 2001 child care providers were classified according to the type of provider; day nurseries, playgroups and pre-schools, childminders, out of school clubs and holiday schemes. Figures based on this classification were published in a series of statistical bulletins, which are available from the Department's website, www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics

Children Bill

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what provisions in the Children Bill in respect of children do not apply to the children of those seeking asylum in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: Asylum seeking children are not excluded from the Children Bill. Its provisions are designed to ensure that services work to improve outcomes for all children, and this includes those who are the children of asylum seekers or themselves seeking asylum. The Children's Commissioner will have the function of promoting the views and interests of all children, including those seeking asylum.
	The immigration service is acutely aware of the need to offer protection to vulnerable children. A number of new procedures have been introduced to ensure that any concerns about children are acted upon and to promote close working with local authorities and other agencies. Unaccompanied asylum seeking children are supported by local authorities in the same way as UK children and are therefore afforded the same protection.

Contact Centres

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding has been available from the Joint Investment Fund for (a) contact centres and (b) supervised contact centres in each of the last three years.

Margaret Hodge: The £3.5 million DfES/Sure Start Joint Investment Fund was announced in March 2004 and represents a major investment in child contact centres for the three financial years 2003–04 to 2005–06. In 2003–04 £100,000 was made available. In 2004–05 £1.8 million is being made available and in 2005–06 £1.6 million will be available.
	Of the £3.5 million, £2.5 million has been allocated to the establishment of 14 new supervised contact centres in England. A sustainability fund of £430,000 will provide financial support to existing supervised and supported contact centres who are members of the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC). £570,000 of training and consultancy support will be made available to supervised contact centres.

Contact Centres

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many contact centres are in operation in England; and how many of these are supervised contact centres.

Margaret Hodge: A mapping exercise conducted by the (former) Lord Chancellor's Department (now the Department for Constitutional Affairs) in autumn 2002, identified approximately 520 voluntary sector child contact centres in England and Wales. 483 of these centres were based in England.
	Of the 483 centres in England, 47 offered supervised child contact services only, while a further 73 centres offered both supervised and supported child contact services.
	Under the 2002 Spending Review, funding has been made available through a DfES/Sure Start joint investment fund to establish 14 new supervised contact centres. This funding was announced in March 2004, The operation of these new supervised centres will be supported by £2.5 million from the total £3.5 million joint investment fund, up until March 2006.

Departmental Staff

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of the staff in his Department in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003 were people with disabilities.

Charles Clarke: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 9 November 2004, Official Report, column 619W.

EU Diploma Recognition

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Co-ordination Group to promote uniformity of application of the general system for the recognition of higher education diplomas (first general system) met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present at each meeting; what (a) technical and (b) financial issues were raised by the UK Government expert at each meeting; what recommendations the Committee produced during that period; what actions were (i) proposed and (ii) taken by (A) the EU and (B) the UK Government as a result of the Committee's recommendations; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: A meeting of the EU Co-ordination Group was held on 24 June 2003 in Brussels. The agenda comprised points of information from the Commission and discussions on other technical areas on the recognition procedure including assimilated diplomas, lists of regulated professions and statistical reports. No decisions were made.

Fair Trade

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is his policy to ensure that hospitality within his Department is sourced from fair trade producers wherever possible within the boundaries set by the public procurement rules.

Stephen Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by the Chief Secretary on 9 December 2002, Official Report, column 92W which read as follows:
	"There is no Government-wide approach to the procurement of Fair trade products. Each Government Department is responsible for making its own decisions on such products, against the background of the Government's value for money policy, the EC procurement rules and the Department's objectives. However, as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development has made clear, the Government are committed to supporting ethical trading wherever possible and provide significant support to the Fair trade Foundation's efforts in promoting the supply and marketing of Fair trade products".
	In line with Government procurement policy the evaluation of tenders is based on value for money considerations having due regard to propriety and regularity. The use of fair trade products was given due consideration alongside other requirements during the last catering service procurement with a subsequent clause included within the contract requiring that Fair trade goods are offered for sale in all DfES Head Office restaurants.

Foundation Schools

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether schools applying to become foundation schools are obliged to consult on their proposal; how long the required period of consultation is; and what guidance the Department issues on how the consultation should be carried out.

David Miliband: The Governing Body of any school that wishes to change category to become a foundation school must first consult interested parties. They must have regard to the Secretary of State's guidance on consultation. The guidance does not stipulate the length of a consultation period nor the form that consultation should take. However, the guidance makes it clear that the proposers must allow adequate time and provide sufficient information for consultees to form a considered view and must also make clear how the consultees can make their views known. The proposers must be able to show that they have taken account of views expressed during consultation in reaching their decision on whether to publish proposals.
	We are currently consulting on plans to introduce a new fast track process for community and voluntary controlled secondary schools to change to foundation category. If implemented, these will remove the requirement to consult interested parties earlier before formally publishing the proposals, although they will be advised to discuss their plans with their local education authority. Local people will, of course, have the opportunity to make their views known about the proposals after publication and governing bodies will be required to take account of representations received.

Home Education

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures are in place to monitor the provision of education at home.

Margaret Hodge: Parents who elect to home educate their children must ensure that they receive full-time education of a good quality and suitable to each child's age, ability and aptitude and to any special needs they may have. It is the duty of local education authorities (LEAs) to monitor the quality of education being provided to home educated children of compulsory school age. Precisely how this is done, and how often, is a matter for the LEA. My officials are currently drafting guidelines for LEAs on elective home education, which are due to be issued early next year.

Information Technology (Schools)

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the computer to pupil ratio was in Bath and North East Somerset in each year since 1997.

David Miliband: The information is not available in the form requested.
	Figures for England, which were derived from a sample of schools, are shown in the table. Figures at sub-national level are not available as the sample was not large enough to provide reliable estimates.
	
		Average number of pupils(22) per computer(23) by type ofschool—England
		
			 Year end March Maintained primary Maintained secondary Maintained special 
		
		
			 1996 19.0 9.0 4.0 
			 1997 n/a n/a n/a 
			 1998 17.6 8.7 4.5 
			 1999 13.4 8.4 3.7 
			 2000 12.6 7.9 3.7 
			 2001 11.8 7.1 3.2 
			 2002 10.1 6.5 3 4 
			 2003 7.9 5.4 3.0 
			 2004 7.5 4.9 3.1 
		
	
	n/a = not available.
	(22) Full-time equivalent numbers of pupils.
	(23) Used solely or mainly for teaching and learning purposes.
	The latest provisional data on ICT in schools was published in the Statistical First Release Survey of Information and Communications Technology in Schools 2004 which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.

Medical Students

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) men and (b) women are training to be doctors at medical schools.

Kim Howells: The available information is given in the table.
	
		Enrolments to clinical and pre-clinical medicine courses atUK HE institutions, 2002/03
		
			 Gender Enrolments 
		
		
			 Male 17,245 
			 Female 22,630 
			 Total 39,875 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are a snapshot as at 1 December and are rounded to the nearest 5.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Ofsted Inspections

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Ofsted inspections of schools in (a) the Greater London area and (b) London borough of Wandsworth there have been in each of the last three years.

David Miliband: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, David Bell, will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of his letter in the Library.

Physical Education

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers are employed in schools solely to teach physical education, broken down by education authority; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: This information is not collected centrally.
	Table 24 of the School Workforce in England Statistical Volume, 2003 edition shows the numbers of teachers of physical education in secondary schools in England. The table includes all teachers who teach some physical education not just those employed solely to teach it. The information is not available by local education authority.
	A copy of the volume has been placed in the House of Commons Library. Alternatively it may be accessed at the following URL: www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000380/index.shtml

Performing Arts

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people were studying for a degree or other Level 4 qualification in the performing arts in the most recent year for which information is available (a) in England, (b) in England from overseas and (c) in each region of England, broken down by type of Level 4 qualification.

Kim Howells: The available information has been taken from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and is given in the table.
	
		Students on undergraduate performing arts(24) courses at English HE institutions, 2002/03
		
			 Government Office Region of institution First degree Foundation degree Diploma of HE HND Other UG(25) Total UG 
		
		
			 North East 615 25 0 35 45 720 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 2,415 0 0 0 100 2,515 
			 North West 3,975 0 0 135 115 4,225 
			 East Midlands 1,230 0 0 115 5 1,345 
			 Eastern 1,675 50 0 190 185 2,095 
			 South East 3,105 30 90 335 400 3,955 
			 London 6,795 5 90 125 695 7,710 
			 South West 1,435 65 5 190 560 2,255 
			 West Midlands 2,120 0 20 50 160 2,345 
			 All English HEIs 23,355 175 200 1,170 2,265 27,170 
			 Of which overseas3 1,690 5 15 20 195 1,915 
		
	
	(24) 'Performing Arts' has been taken to include music, dance and drama.
	(25) Includes students studying for professional qualifications and other certificates and diplomas at undergraduate level.
	(26) Includes EU domiciled students.
	Note:
	Figures are a snapshot as at 1 December and are rounded to the nearest 0 or 5.
	Source:
	HESA.

Performing Arts

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in what circumstances performing arts students are entitled to student loans and fee support; and if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on support for Level 4 students.

Kim Howells: The Government supports a range of performing arts students with the standard package of Higher Education fees and loans for training at Level 4. This includes those pursuing degrees or diplomas on courses designated for student support in mainstream Higher Education, at universities or other institutions providing HE courses.
	In addition, 525 students start courses each year supported by the Dance and Drama Awards which provide support with fees and means tested support for the student fee contribution and living costs The Awards provide performance training at Level 4 leading to Trinity College London Diplomas in private schools of dance and drama.

Pupil Referral Units

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Pupil Referral Units in (a) raising levels of attainment, (b) enabling pupils to return to mainstream schools and (c) improving attendance.

Stephen Twigg: Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) are inspected by Ofsted to assess the quality of the provision being delivered by LEAs and to address any instances where it falls below our expectations. PRUs form a significant element within each LEA's alternative provision strategy. However, in June 2003, Ofsted reported that the quality of alternative provision made for older pupils is variable. Well run PRUs make a great difference to their pupils, and we are disseminating guidance on good practice to help LEAs improve their effectiveness. We will also expect PRUs to work with groups of schools which take collective responsibility for managing excluded pupils and those at risk of exclusion, and provision for them.

School Playing Fields

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether he has (a) received and (b) been notified of proposals to sell school playing fields since the publication of new guidance on the matter.

Stephen Twigg: On 27 August, we announced our intention to tighten up the criteria against which applications for consent to dispose of school playing fields would be assessed. Following consultation with the independent School Playing Fields Advisory Panel, we have published the new guidance today. I have not yet received, or been notified of, any proposals to sell school playing fields under the new guidance.

Scientists in Higher Education

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the retention rate of scientists employed by universities.

Kim Howells: We have made no assessment of the retention rate of scientists employed by universities. However, we do have access to the latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, which is shown in the following table. We have taken 'scientists' to mean academic staff in all science subjects.
	
		Retention rates(27) of academic staff(28) on permanent contractsUK HE institutions
		
			  Percentage 
			 Academic year Staff in science departments(29) All staff 
		
		
			 1994/95 97 97 
			 2002/03 96 96 
		
	
	(27) The retention rate is defined as the proportion of staff who were recorded at the same institution at both the beginning and end of the academic year.
	(28) Covers full-time and part-time staff on permanent contracts.
	(29) Includes staff in cost centres covering all science subjects.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency's Staff Record.

Scientists in Higher Education

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average age is of scientists with permanent contracts employed by universities; and what the average age was 10 years ago.

Kim Howells: The latest available figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, are shown in the following table. Information for 1992/93 is not held centrally. We have taken 'scientists' to mean academic staff in all science subjects. As well as figures for science staff, we have shown figures for all staff for comparison.
	
		Average age of academic staff(30) UK HE Institutions 
		
			 Academic years Staff in science departments(31) All staff 
		
		
			 1994/95(32) 45 45 
			 2002/03 46 46 
		
	
	(30) Covers full-time and part-time staff on permanent contracts.
	(31) Includes staff in cost centres covering all science subjects.
	(32) Earliest comparable figures—information for 1992/93 is not held centrally.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency's Staff Record.

Special Educational Needs

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is the Government's policy that conductive education should be made available to all children with special educational needs; what research he has commissioned on conductive education in special education; and what guidance has been issued on the use of conductive education for children with motor disorders.

Margaret Hodge: Decisions about how to provide for children with special educational needs (SEN) are taken locally in light of all the individual circumstances. Local education authorities (LEAs) have a statutory duty to identify, assess and provide for children with SEN, taking advice from professionals and other agencies as necessary. Some individual placements at specialist centres providing conductive education are being funded by LEAs, social services and health.
	A research project by the University of Birmingham to evaluate the effectiveness of conductive education was funded by the Department in 1993. This found no evidence that children receiving conductive education progress better than comparable children at maintained special schools.
	There are no plans to give all pupils with special educational needs access to conductive education or to provide guidance. The Government's strategy for SEN—"Removing Barriers to Achievement"—launched in February this year, sets out our vision for giving children with SEN and disabilities the opportunity to succeed according to their personal needs and aptitudes. This strategy builds on proposals for the reform of the children's services in "Every Child Matters". It sets a new agenda for improvement and action at a national and local level.

University Admissions

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2004, Official Report, column 290W, on university admissions, what his timescale is for consideration of the benchmarks on university admissions; and whether he plans to announce the outcome of this consideration.

Kim Howells: I have said that I will look at the benchmarks to see if there is any way they can be improved or better understood. I have not yet announced a specific timescale, nor at this stage any plans to make an announcement.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Data Protection

Chris Ruane: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will reform the data protection laws to allow (a) local government and (b) national government to share information between departments.

Christopher Leslie: The Data Protection Act 1998 does not prevent the sharing of information between public bodies, it regulates the way in which such sharing must be done to ensure compliance with principles of good information handling. Data sharing between public bodies is also a matter of administrative law, common law and human rights. Guidance on how data sharing can be carried out on a lawful basis is set out in "Public Sector Data Sharing: Guidance on the Law" published by the Department for Constitutional Affairs in November 2003, copies of which are available in the Library.

Departmental Staff

David Wilshire: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many agency temporary staff have been working for the Department or its predecessors in each of the last five years, excluding those working for agencies for which no data are kept centrally.

David Lammy: Within my Department, temporary staff are defined as individual contract staff employed through an agency. They are used to fill vacancies in a wide variety of support roles.
	My Department has a national contract for the provision of agency staff workers. This contract has been in place since 2001. Prior to 2001 agency staff data were not held centrally. Information regarding the number of agency workers provided to the Department under this contract is provided in the following table. Prior to 2001 agency staff data were not held centrally.
	Information relating to workers employed through other agencies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department uses agency workers to meet short-term requirements and in areas where it is difficult to recruit and retain staff.
	
		Use of DCA national contract for provision of agency workers
		
			 Financial year Estimated average headcount 
		
		
			 1999–2000 Information not available 
			 2000–01 Information not available 
			 2001–02  
			 Lord Chancellor's Department and associated offices Not applicable—did not begin using contract until following year 
			 Court Service—including the Immigration Appellate Authority 170 
			 2002–03 259 
			 2003–04 283

UN Conventions (Channel Islands)

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when the United Nations Convention (a) on the Rights of the Child and (b) on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women will be extended to (i) Jersey and (ii) Guernsey; what commitments the authorities in the Islands have given to implement the necessary legislation; and by what date.

David Lammy: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women both cover areas where the Governments of the Crown Dependencies have domestic competence. The Insular Authorities in Jersey and Guernsey have both made a commitment to have the necessary legislation in place when it is practicable to do so. Once that legislation is in place the Insular Authorities may then request the extension of the conventions, that may be done by declaration.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Burma

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total value of imports from Burma was in the first six months of 2004; and if she will break down the items imported by value.

Douglas Alexander: According to figures published by HM Customs and Excise, the UK's imports of goods from Burma in the first six months of 2004 were as follows:
	
		
			 Product £000 
		
		
			 Fish, (not marine mammals), crustaceans, molluscs, and aquatic invertebrates and preparations thereof 2,347 
			 Vegetables and fruit 188 
			 Cork and wood 454 
			 Petroleum, petroleum products and related materials 8 
			 Leather, leather manufactures nes and dressed furskins 5 
			 Cork and wood manufactures (excl. furniture) 150 
			 Paper, paperboard, and articles of paper pulp; etc. 172 
			 Textile yarn, fabrics, made-up articles, nes 42 
			 Non-metallic mineral manufactures 40 
			 Manufactures of metal nes 518 
			 Power generating machinery and equipment 1 
			 Specialised industrial machinery 198 
			 General industrial machinery and equipment, nes and machine parts nes 393 
			 Office machines and ADP equipment 85 
			 Telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus 389 
			 Electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, nes and electrical parts thereof 390 
			 Road vehicles 70 
			 Other transport equipment 8 
			 Prefabricated buildings; sanitary, plumbing, heating and lighting fixtures and fittings 29 
			 Furniture and parts thereof; bedding, mattresses, supports, cushions and similar stuffed furnishings 2,032 
			 Travel goods, handbags and similar containers 18 
			 Articles of apparel and clothing accessories 34,983 
			 Footwear 4 
			 Photographic apparatus, equipment, and supplies and optical goods nes; watches and clocks 18 
			 Miscellaneous manufactured article nes 478 
			 Commodities not elsewhere classified 150 
			 Total 43,168 
		
	
	nes = not elsewhere specified
	Notes:
	Products are classified according to the Standard International Trade Classification (Rev 3).

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2004, Official Report, column 1240W, on corruption, if she will make a statement on the issues surrounding the details and practical application of anti-corruption procedures which she will be seeking to resolve.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 8 November 2004
	ECGD wrote to its customers on 5 November 2004 advising them of the outcome of discussions with industry about the terms of its procedures to combat bribery and corruption. I am putting a copy of this letter in the Library of the House. Revised application forms, reflecting the procedures now being put in place in the light of these discussion, will be posted to the ECGD website (www.ecgd. gov.uk) on 8 November 2004 and will come into force from 1 December 2004.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2004, Official Report, column 1242W, on the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD), if she will place a copy of the interim arrangements which the ECGD agreed with Airbus on anti-corruption procedures in the Library.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 8 November 2004
	Two documents formed the basis of ECGD's interim anti-bribery and corruption arrangements in respect of this business. I have placed in the Library of the House:
	i. A specimen application form
	ii. The schedule to the application form
	The existing anti-bribery and corruption provisions that applied to Airbus pre 1 May 2004 supplemented the aforementioned documents.

Electricity

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the security of electricity supply in the Vale of York.

Mike O'Brien: I am arranging an investigation into one particular complaint with regards to a series of power cuts in the Green Hammerton parish council area in the Vale of York.

Electricity

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the health effects of electricity pylons.

Mike O'Brien: None.

Electricity

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent research she has evaluated on the health effects of electricity pylons.

Mike O'Brien: A comprehensive report was published on 31 March 2004 by the National Radiological Protection Board. The contents of the report and the accompanying advice to Government have been welcomed by Government and are being acted upon.

Electricity

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with National Grid Transco on the health effects of electricity pylons.

Mike O'Brien: My officials and those in the Department of Health hold ad hoc discussions with National Grid Transco on issues that may have a bearing on possible ill health effects from high voltage overhead lines.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the role of her Department is in respect of the EU Emissions Trading scheme.

Mike O'Brien: The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has the lead responsibility for the EU ETS.
	DTI's role is to consider all aspects of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) that impact on the energy and business sectors. This includes making sure that the competitiveness of UK industry is maintained and ensuring that issues affecting security of supply, energy prices and North Sea oil and gas production are taken into account.
	In addition, DTI has the responsibility for the energy and carbon dioxide projections that form an integral part of the UK's National Allocation Plan under the EU ETS.
	DTI has substantially contributed to policy development in relation to new entrants and closures.
	DTI also supports the industry-led Emissions Trading Group and assists business on opportunities arising from emissions trading through UK Trade and Investment and the joint DTI/Defra Climate Change Projects Office.

Gas Network

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how her Department interprets the value for money criterion in terms of connecting communities to the mains gas network; what estimates her Department has made of the number of communities and households not connected to the network for whom cost-effective connection is possible; what sources of funding are available to extend the gas network; and what contribution her Department makes to this investment.

Mike O'Brien: The economic viability of connecting individual communities to the gas network will depend on a wide range of circumstances. Over 1,200 clusters of more than 150 households lie within 2 km of a gas main. It is likely that the communities that could most economically be connected to the network would fall within this group. A wide range of funding sources is available to facilitate connections. These will also vary from community to community, but include the Energy Efficiency Commitment, Warm Front and the European Regional Development Fund and contributions from gas transporters and suppliers. The Department's Design and Demonstration Unit is working with local authorities and others to design, develop and deliver pilot gas extension projects as a model for further activity.

Nuclear Clean-up

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent initiatives she has taken in respect of co-operation on nuclear clean-up with the Russian Federation Atomic Energy Agency; and what resources have been committed to this collaboration.

Mike O'Brien: The UK is a key contributor to the G8 Global Partnership against weapons and materials of mass destruction, which was established at the G8 Kananaskis Summit in 2002, where the Prime Minister committed up to $750 million over 10 years. Under this programme the UK is working in partnership with the Russian Federation and other international partners on a variety of areas including redirection of former weapons scientists, improving protection of nuclear and radioactive material, and nuclear clean-up and submarine dismantlement in North West Russia. The annual budget for the UK's programme is £32.5 million.
	The UK's nuclear clean up programme in the Russian Federation is primarily focused on two major projects near Murmansk—the Atomflot facility where the UK is funding a storage site for spent nuclear fuel and Andreeva Bay, where we and other international donors are contributing to making spent nuclear fuel assemblies safe and secure. The UK has also funded the decommissioning of two Oscar class submarines at the Zvezdochka shipyard near Archangelsk and is an active participant in the Arctic Military Environmental Programme alongside Norway, the US and the Russian Federation. Negotiations are also under way on various other programmes where final decisions on funding have not yet been reached. The total UK contribution to these projects amounts to £19 million in 2004–05 and approximately £23 million in 2005–06.
	In December 2004, the Department of Trade and Industry, jointly with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, will publish a second Annual Report on the UK's programmes under the G8 Global Partnership, which will be placed in the Library of the House.

Nuclear Waste

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will ask the Chairman of the new Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to provide an estimate of the additional volumes of (a) low, (b) intermediate, (c) high level and (d) plutonium contaminated nuclear wastes that will be added to the current stockpiles of each of the radioactive waste categories as a result of the continued operation of (i) Thorp and (ii) the Sellafield Mox Plant.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is contained in the 2001 UK Radioactive Waste Inventory. This provides estimates of the additional volumes of wastes expected to be produced from Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) and the Sellafield Mox Plant (SMP). Routine low level waste sent to Drigg is expected to total around 15,000 cubic metres. Around 5,400 cubic metres of conditioned intermediate level waste and about 400 cubic metres of conditioned plutonium contaminated material (PCM) is also estimated. Vitirfication will reduce future amounts of high-level liquid waste to around 280 cubic metres.
	It has been the position since 1995 that all HLW from overseas reprocessing will be returned to BNFL's customers. The programme to return overseas high level reprocessing wastes is planned to begin in 2007–08.

Power Cuts

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the risk of power cuts in the UK this winter; what measures are in place to ensure such risk is kept to a minimum; and if she will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Government are committed to maintaining secure energy supplies—it is one of the four goals of the Government's energy policy as set out in the Energy White Paper, published last February.
	A market-based approach is the best way of delivering energy security.
	National Grid's assessment in their "Winter Outlook Report" is that there is enough electricity generating capacity to meet demand even in a very severe winter. The forecast plant margin is over 20 per cent., and it could rise further if generators bring more mothballed plant back into service.
	Through the Joint Energy Security of Supply Working Group (JESS), the DTI and Ofgem continually monitor developments in the market, and look for ways of helping the market to work effectively to deliver secure energy supplies. We also provide valuable information to market participants, which can help them to plan investment decisions.
	However, we can never guarantee that supplies will always be 100 per cent. secure. Storms and their aftermath remain the most likely cause of disruption this winter. I have therefore sought assurances from the electricity distribution network operators that they have done everything which can be reasonably expected of them to maintain network resilience this coming winter; and that they are implementing the recommendations outlined in the Network Resilience Working Group report "Proposals for Improved Storm Performance for Electricity Distribution Networks", published last December.

Research and Development

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria are used to distribute grants for research and development to help (a) individuals and (b) small and medium-sized businesses to research and develop technologically innovative products and processes.

Nigel Griffiths: The criteria against which applications from eligible individuals and small and medium-sized businesses for grants for research and development are judged are explained in the guidance notes for applicants and are (i) the level of technological innovation and risk; (ii) the commercial potential; (iii) the background and experience of the applicant and business; (iv) wider aspects such as environmental and social impacts; and (v) the need for the grant.

Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the default rate was on Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme loans broken down by numbers of loans made, in each year since 1990; and what the cost to her Department was in each year since 1990.

Nigel Griffiths: The information is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of guaranteed loans Number of loans defaulted/claims made Net cost of claims (£) 
		
		
			 1995–96 7,484 814 27,556,269 
			 1996–97 6,942 1,642 33,728,325 
			 1997–98 5,081 2,085 41,339,760 
			 1998–99 4,482 1,957 33,984,344 
			 1999–00 4,279 1,779 29,940,471 
			 2000–01 4,312 1,531 25,190,429 
			 2001–02 4,369 1,624 35,615,658 
			 2002–03 3,616 1,690 40,725,825 
			 2003–04 5,966 1,578 41,053,159 
		
	
	The numbers of claims made each year are made up from loans that could have been guaranteed any time during the previous 10 years. Therefore, it is inappropriate to make any comparison between the number of loans guaranteed and the number of claims made each year.
	Figures are not available before 1995.

Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many loans have been guaranteed through the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme in each year since 1997; what the value of these loans was (a) in total and (b) by sector; and what proportion was made to start-ups.

Nigel Griffiths: The following table shows the number of guarantees in the financial years 1997 to 2004 and their total value and the total number of guarantees to start ups and their value.
	
		
			 Financial Year Number of guarantees Value (£ million) Number of guarantees to start ups Value of guarantees to start ups (£ million) 
		
		
			 1997–98 5,081 201.34 1,378 39.09 
			 1998–99 4,482 188.80 1,209 37.62 
			 1999–2000 4,279 205.99 1,180 40.34 
			 2000–01 4,312 240.46 1,323 53.17 
			 2001–02 4,269 254.69 1,286 53.857 
			 2002–03 3,916 269.461 1,024 50.719 
			 2003–04 5,966 409.258 1,850 42.205

Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many and what value of loans were made through the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme in each year since 1997.

Nigel Griffiths: The following table shows the number of guarantees in the financial years 1997 to 2004 and their total value.
	
		
			 Financial Year Number of guarantees Value (£ million) 
		
		
			 1997–98 5,081 201.34 
			 1998–99 4,482 188.80 
			 1999–2000 4,279 205.99 
			 2000–01 4,312 240.46 
			 2001–02 4,269 254.69 
			 2002–03 3,916 269.461 
			 2003–04 5,966 409.258

Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial provision her Department has made in respect of the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme in each year since 1997.

Nigel Griffiths: The following table shows the financial provision for the Small Firms Loan Guarantee for the years 1997 onwards.
	
		
			 Financial Year Provision (£ million) 
		
		
			 1997–98 49.15 
			 1998–99 45.07 
			 1999–2000 47.34 
			 2000–01 41.09 
			 2001–02 40.2 
			 2002–03 43.28 
			 2003–04 45.77 
			 2004–05 58.7

Trinidad and Tobago

George Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when a Minister from her Department last visited Trinidad and Tobago; and what plans there are for a Minister from her Department to visit the islands.

Douglas Alexander: The last DTI Minister to visit Trinidad and Tobago from 31 October-4 November 2001, was the then Minister for Employment Relations, Industry and the Regions (Alan Johnson). There are currently no plans for a DTI Minister to visit the islands.

Unsolicited Calls

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints about unsolicited silent calls by commercial power diallers have been referred to (a) Ofcom and (b) the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Telephone Information Services by consumers in the past 12 months.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 8 November 2004
	The information requested is as follows.
	(a) The Office of Communications (Ofcom) has received 302 complaints from consumers about unsolicited silent calls since Ofcom became fully operational on 29 December 2003. It is difficult to estimate how many of these complaints involved commercial power diallers, as some consumers may not be aware of such equipment or be certain that it has been used to make the calls.
	(b) The Independent Committee for the Supervision of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS) has received no complaints during the past 12 months about unsolicited silent calls made by commercial power diallers.

Working Parents

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the percentage of people who are employed by small and medium-sized enterprises who are parents of children aged (a) under five and (b) over five.

Nigel Griffiths: This information is not readily available. I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

CABINET OFFICE

Departmental Responsibilities

Julian Lewis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2004, Official Report, columns 268–9W, on departmental responsibilities, what decision has been made on the sum to be earmarked from the existing Cabinet Office budget to meet the cost of appointing a separate Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 9 November 2004
	The costs of appointing a separate Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will be met from the existing Cabinet Office budget, and will be accounted for in the 2004–05 Cabinet Office Annual Report and Resource Accounts.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Analogue Spectrum

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimates of the market value of the released analogue spectrum available after digital switchover informed the Cost Benefit Analysis of July 2003; whether her Department has made subsequent estimates; and if she will make a statement.

Estelle Morris: The Cost Benefit Analysis model developed by Government economists for digital switchover does not make an estimate of the market value of the released spectrum. As is standard in CBA methodology, economists have used estimates of the value of the consumer surplus that would be created by the new services which use released spectrum. We made the simplifying and conservative assumption that the providers of the new services would cover their costs.
	The assessment of the consumer surplus is based on estimates of consumers' willingness to pay, using evidence from a revealed and stated preference survey. Consumers are asked to value services, some of whose features are novel and potentially available only in the future. The results give estimates with a wide range.
	The Cost Benefit Analysis of Digital Switchover published by DTI and DCMS in September 2003 and is available at www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk. This showed that the quantifiable benefits of switchover were in the region of £1.5—£2 billion in net present value terms for the central case. Further work to refine estimates of the costs and benefits of switchover continues. This includes incorporating the results of a fresh consumer survey undertaken in spring 2004. The updated cost benefit analysis will inform the decisions on how and when switchover should be implemented.

Church Building Stock

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to survey the state of church building stock; and what assessment she has made of church building stock's future repair needs.

Richard Caborn: The Government currently have no plans to survey the state of the church building stock. However the Department does draw on work by individual denominations, such as the Church of England parochial return form, which is sent out annually to all Church of England parishes, and in 2003 asked for information about outstanding repair costs.

Consultants

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much expenditure her Department has incurred in each year since 2002 on employing external consultants to deal with press and public relations; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: There was no expenditure by the Department on employing external consultants to deal with press and public relations in either 2002–03 or 2003–04. The Department's Promotions and Publicity Unit has spent £8,142 on a public relations consultant for the digital television project since April 2004.
	The Unit has also recently appointed a public relations consultancy for the public information campaign on the switchover from analogue to digital television. This work has been budgeted for £100,000 and is expected to run until March 2005.

Departmental Advertising

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost of (a) creative work, (b) media spend and (c) administration for her Department's advertising activity has been in each financial year since 1997–98, broken down by contractor.

Richard Caborn: The only advertising activity undertaken by the Department since 1997–98 has been a short radio advertising campaign for the BBC Charter Review—'Your BBC Your Say'. The total costs were:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 Production (including creative and administration) 3,225 
			 Media (including administration costs) 12,907.36

Departmental Estate

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the properties occupied by (a) her Department and (b) its agencies in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004, showing (A) for each and (B) in aggregate the area; and what in aggregate the annual rental value was.

Richard Caborn: Since 1997 DCMS has disposed of two of its premises, at lease termination, and acquired alternative premises, so that direct aggregated comparisons are not possible. The rents paid for the premises vacated in 1999 are not now known. The two premises occupied in 1997 had floor areas of: 1,365.36 sq m and 8,744 sq m with rents of £507,500 and £3,437,397 respectively. In 2004 floor areas remained the same and rents of £507,500 and £4,015,000 are paid following rent reviews in 2002. The two premises acquired in 1999 have floor areas of 1,320.05 sq m and 1,840.45 sq m and rents of £488,000 and £408,062.52 respectively. The Royal Parks Agency properties, listed as follows, are all freehold, hence no rents are paid.
	
		Royal Parks property
		
			   Park occupied 
			 Property  1997 2004 Floor (sq m) 
		
		
			 Chapel Brompton Cemetery Yes Yes — 
			 Stockyard Education Centre Bushy Park — — — 
			 Storeyard Complex Bushy Park Yes Yes 367 
			 River Lodge Bushy Park Yes Yes — 
			 3 Upper Lodge Bushy Park Yes Yes — 
			 4 Upper Lodge Bushy Park Yes Yes — 
			 Gamekeepers Lodge Bushy Park Yes Yes — 
			 White Lodge Bushy Park No Yes — 
			 Greenwich Park Offices Greenwich Park Yes Yes (33)670 
			 Vanburgh Gate Lodge Greenwich Park Yes Yes — 
			 Lookout centre Hyde Park Yes Yes (33)29 
			 Serpentine Lodge Hyde Park Yes Yes — 
			 Rangers Cottage Hyde Park Yes Yes — 
			 New Lodge Hyde Park Yes Yes — 
			 Old Police House Hyde Park Yes Yes (33)204 
			 Prince of Wales Lodge East Hyde Park No Yes — 
			 Ranger's Lodge Hyde Park Yes Yes (34)244 
			 The Magazine Kensington Gardens Yes Yes (33)448 
			 Queen's Gate Lodge Kensington Gardens Yes Yes — 
			 Black Lion Gate Lodge Kensington Gardens Yes Yes — 
			 Park Offices Regents Park Yes Yes (33)260 
			 Benhard Baron Pavilion Regents Park Yes Part (33)560 
			 New Lodge Regents Park Yes Yes — 
			 Nursery Lodge Regents Park Yes Yes — 
			 1 St. Marks Bridge Lodge Regents Park Yes Yes — 
			 2 St. Marks Bridge Lodge Regents Park Yes Yes — 
			 2 Gloucester Gate Lodge Regents Park Yes Yes — 
			 3 Gloucester Gate Lodge Regents Park Yes Yes — 
			 Ladderstile Gate Lodge Richmond Park Yes Yes — 
			 Venision House Richmond Park No Yes (35)— 
			 West Stable Block Richmond Park Yes Yes (33)213 
			 Work shop building Richmond Park Yes Yes (33)55 
			 Ship lap building Richmond Park Yes Yes (33)130 
			 Richmond Gate Old Lodge Richmond Park Yes Yes — 
			 Kingston Gate Lodge Richmond Park Yes Yes — 
			 Bishops Lodge Richmond Park Yes Yes — 
			 Sheen Gate Lodge Richmond Park Yes Yes — 
			 Oak Lodge Richmond Park No Yes — 
			 Holly Lodge Richmond Park Yes Yes (33)594 
			 Holly Lodge Training Building Richmond Park Yes Yes (33)545 
			 Holly Lodge—; Sawmill Richmond Park Yes Yes (33)182 
			 Holly Lodge—Workshop building Richmond Park Yes Yes (33)124 
			 Ivy Lodge St. James Park Yes Yes — 
			 Storeyard East Block St. James Park Yes Yes (33)398 
		
	
	(33) Gross internal area
	(34) Net Internal Area
	(35) New building

Greyhounds

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the increased rate of voluntary payments from bookmakers to the British Greyhound Racing Fund will (a) enable all retired greyhounds to be re-homed and (b) guarantee adequate funding for greyhound rescue centres.

Richard Caborn: The Government do not have control over the use of the voluntary payments made by bookmakers to the British Greyhound Racing Fund (BGRF). We understand that the distribution of the increased payments, agreed between bookmakers and the sport earlier this year, has not yet been determined.

Places of Worship

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will establish a cross-departmental governmental group to consider the impact of policy proposals on churches and places of worship; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: There are currently no plans to create a cross-departmental Government group.
	However the Department is involved in cross-departmental discussions regarding the ecclesiastical built heritage and actively seeks to keep all relevant parties engaged when necessary.

Places of Worship

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department has had with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on the importance of places of worship in planning decisions.

Richard Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport considers listed places of worship as part of the built heritage as a whole, and therefore the Department and Office of the Deputy Prime Minister regularly discuss the importance of places of worship, including the current Ecclesiastical Exemption Review.

Places of Worship

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the operation of the Listed Places of Worship Scheme.

Richard Caborn: To date over £22.9 million has been distributed under the Listed Places of Worship Scheme, and almost 5,000 listed places of worship UK-wide have now claimed under it. The scheme was intended as an interim measure pending the outcome of the review, presently under way, of Annex H of the European Union's sixth VAT Directive, which governs which goods and services are permitted reduced rates of VAT. The UK Government are committed to trying to secure a permanent lower rate of VAT to apply to repairs and maintenance of listed places of worship as part of this review.
	However, as the future of these negotiations is uncertain at present, the Chancellor announced in the March 2004 Budget that listed places of worship would be able to claim the full amount of VAT paid on eligible carried out on and after 1 April 2004. The scheme is currently due to continue until 31 March 2006.

Places of Worship

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about the level of public funding for historic church buildings; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no specific discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about the current level of public funding for historic church buildings. DCMS officials have met with Treasury officials to discuss the continuation of funding for the Listed Places of Worship Scheme.

Gambling

Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what information she has collated on the number of problem gamblers in (a) Wales, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) each region of England.

Richard Caborn: The available information is set out in "Gambling behaviour in Britain: Results from British Gambling Prevalence Survey", published by the National Centre for Social Research, which was summarised in the report of the Gambling Review Body (CM 5206).

Regulatory Compliance Costs

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what the aggregate annual cost as measured by the regulatory impact assessments is of compliance with regulations introduced by her Department since 1997;
	(2)  what her latest estimate is of the total cost in a year of compliance with regulations for which her Department is responsible.

Richard Caborn: All proposals which impact on business, charities or the voluntary sector require a regulatory impact assessment (RIA) which includes details of the costs, benefits and risks of the proposal. RIAs are subject to public consultation and copies of final RIAs are available from the House Libraries and on departmental websites.

Special Advisers

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many unpaid special advisers the Department has; what their names are; and which Government (a) bodies, (b) committees and (c) strategy groups each unpaid adviser (i) belongs to, (ii) advises and (iii) works alongside.

Richard Caborn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office (Ruth Kelly) on 28 October 2004, Official Report, column 1380W.

Sport Participation

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of children under the age of 18 who (a) play rugby, (b) play football, (c) play cricket and (d) take part in boxing.

Richard Caborn: According to surveys undertaken in 2003, the numbers of children under the age of 18 who play rugby, football, cricket and take part in boxing are as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Rugby 1,064,000 
			 Football 4,593,000 
			 Cricket 2,599,000 
			 Boxing 4,519

Windsor Castle (Power)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost to public funds will be of the provision of two hydro-powered turbines at Windsor Castle.

Richard Caborn: None: the cost of the provision of four small turbines, rather than two large ones, is being met by the electricity generating company.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Winter Fuel Allowance

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the annual cost of extending the winter fuel allowance to disabled people aged below 60 years who are in receipt of (a) middle or higher rate care and (b) the higher mobility component of disability living allowance.

Malcolm Wicks: The estimated annual cost of extending the winter fuel payment to disabled people aged below 60 years who are in receipt of either the middle or higher rate care component or the higher mobility component of disability living allowance is £235 million for 2004–05.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Age-related Macular Degeneration

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the prevalence of age related macular degeneration in the Province.

Angela Smith: Information on age related macular degeneration is routinely collected through current eye examinations to determine serious visual impairment.
	Analysis of that information is undertaken by the Ophthalmology Department at the Royal Victoria hospital. It has advised that prevalence rates of macular degeneration in Northern Ireland are consistent with those elsewhere in Europe and the United States.
	Prevalence rates are typically around 5 per cent. of those aged 60; 10 per cent. of those aged 70; and 20 per cent. of those aged 80 or over.

Anti-TNF Medications

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether there is an upper age limit for treatment with anti-TNF medications in the Province.

Angela Smith: There is no prescriptive upper age limit for treatment with anti-TNF therapies. However, local clinicians do take the age of the patient into account when considering whether the potential clinical benefits arising from treatment outweigh the risk of side effects. As individuals get older, there is an increased risk of serious infection in those with a longer duration of inflammatory disease, and where patients have complex medical histories.
	The decision to prescribe an anti-TNF medicine is, therefore, a clinical one, which takes account of the specific needs of the individual and experience of use of these new products.

Asbestos

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the sites in Northern Ireland where (a) asbestos and (b) asbestos products can be legally disposed of; and what safety measures are in place at these locations to protect members of the public.

Angela Smith: There are currently no facilities in Northern Ireland for the disposal of asbestos or wastes containing asbestos. However there is one facility, a waste transfer station located in Belfast, which is presently licensed to accept asbestos waste, on a temporary basis, prior to onward movement for disposal in Great Britain. This facility operates under a waste management licence which provides conditions for the environmentally sound management of the wastes accepted at the site.

Autism

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland where in the Province autism early intervention teams (a) are operating and (b) will be introduced within the next 12 months.

Angela Smith: Within the Eastern Health and Social Services Board, there are teams with specialist skills and experience in Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) located in each of the Trust's Child Development Clinic structures, which are locality based.
	There are diagnostic teams within the Northern Health and Social Services Board. Within the next 12 months, Homefirst Trust will be developing its team further to include post-diagnostic support.
	Within the Southern Health and Social Services Board there is an area wide Attention Behaviour Communication Specialist Assessment Clinic and Early Intervention (ABC) Clinic. The Board hopes to strengthen this clinic within the next 12 months with additional intervention workers and also associated training for professional and parents.
	The Western Health and Social Services Board has been developing plans for enhancing diagnostic and assessment services during 2004/05 and 2005/06. The Board has also funded PAPA to employ, from 1 March 2004, an early intervention worker to pilot early intervention service.

Aviation

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in developing an aviation strategy for Northern Ireland.

John Spellar: The Government's policy in relation to the future of air transport in Northern Ireland was set out in the Air Transport White Paper published in December 2003.

Back Pain

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his most recent estimate is of the number of days lost from work in a year in the Province as a result of back pain.

Barry Gardiner: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave on 7 June 2004, Official Report, columns 138–39W. A more recent estimate is not available.

Breast Radiologists

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to increase the number of breast radiologists (a) in the Northern Board Area and (b) elsewhere in the Province.

Angela Smith: Staffing is the responsibility of Health and Social Services Trusts, taking into account factors such as service needs and available resources. Nevertheless, the Department reviews the Consultant medical workforce, across all hospital-based specialties, annually and this informs decisions on the number in training. The requirement for breast radiologists is taken into account in this process.
	In recognition of the demand for radiologists, the number of specialist trainees has been increased from 20 in 1999 to 34 in August 2004, out of which it is expected that two breast radiologists will be available within the next year.

Civil Service

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he will take to ensure that services will not be adversely affected by the proposed cuts in Civil Service jobs announced on 12 July.

Ian Pearson: The proposed reduction in Civil Service numbers is part of the Government's wider efficiency agenda. The question of any adverse impact on services does not apply, as the key aim of the efficiency agenda is to redirect resources to priority front line areas, and thus enhance the quality of public services.

Consultant Pain Sessions

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many regular consultant pain sessions took place at each hospital in the Province in the last period for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: Information on the number of regular pain sessions held is not collected centrally. However, the number of clinics held during 2003–04 in the anaesthetics and pain management specialties are as follows:
	
		Number of outpatient clinics held for the anaesthetics specialty by hospital during 2003–04
		
			 Hospital Number of clinics held 
		
		
			 Causeway hospital 16 
			 Mater Infirmorum 80 
			 N.I. total 96 
		
	
	
		Number of outpatient clinics held for the pain management specialty by hospital during 2003–04
		
			 Hospital Number of clinics held 
		
		
			 Altnagelvin area 113 
			 Antrim 87 
			 Belfast City 233 
			 Causeway hospital 47 
			 Craigavon area 40 
			 Daisy Hill 76 
			 Erne 76 
			 Musgrave Park 52 
			 South Tyrone 35 
			 Tyrone County 33 
			 Ulster 214 
			 Whiteabbey 12 
			 N.I. total 1,018 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures for the anaesthetic and pain management specialties have been provided. The treatment of pain can be classified as either of these specialties according to the contract of the consultant providing the treatment.
	2. Data for 2003–04 is provisional and may be subject to change.

Consultant Radiologists

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland during which periods in the last 10 years there have been vacancies for consultant radiologist posts in the Northern Board Area.

Angela Smith: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		Number of vacancies for consultant radiologist posts in the Northern Board Area each year since 1999
		
			 Year 1 Total number (part year or full year) 
		
		
			 1999 2 
			 2000 7 
			 2001 6 
			 2002 3 
			 2003 5 
			 2004 5 
		
	
	(36) United Hospitals Group HSS Trust are only able to trace figures back to 1999. Their Personnel Department moved location and installed a new computer package in 1999. Old records were not kept. Manual recruitment files are only retained for three years.

Decommissioning

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress there has been towards decommissioning of arms in the last 12 months.

Ian Pearson: There have been four acts of decommissioning to date. The latest act occurred on 21 October 2003, when the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) reported that it had witnessed a third event in which IRA weapons were put beyond use. What progress there has been since is a confidential matter between the IICD and those interlocutors representing both republican and loyalist organisations.

Dentistry

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what dental provision is available to the public outside normal working hours and at weekends in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: General Dental Practitioners providing health service dentistry have a contractual obligation to ensure that a registered patient has access to urgent treatment outside of normal surgery hours. In addition, Health and Social Services Boards have arrangements to provide out of hours emergency dental services for all patients at times when dental surgeries would not normally be open.

Doctors

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of (a) people living in the Province who are medical graduates and (b) whole-time equivalent doctors working within the NHS in the Province.

Angela Smith: The information requested regarding the number of people living in Northern Ireland who are medical graduates is not available.
	The number of whole-time equivalent doctors working within the NHS at 30 September 2004 are detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  Wte 
		
		
			 Doctors Working within the NI HPSS 2,975.37 
			 GPs 983.75 
			 Total 3,959.12

Education and Library Boards

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the financial situation of (a) the South East Education and Library Board and (b) the Belfast Education and Library Board.

Barry Gardiner: Both boards have confirmed that they overspent their financial allocations for 2003–04. The South Eastern Education and Library Board has recorded, in its accounts for 2003–04, a deficit of £5.6 million. The figure for the Belfast Education and Library Board is expected to be confirmed at £5.4 million.
	Both boards were asked, as a matter of urgency, to bring forward plans setting out the actions that would need to be taken to ensure that expenditure in the current financial year is contained within the budgetary limits voted by Parliament. I have now received these plans and will examine them carefully to assess the impact that the proposed actions are likely to have.
	I remain concerned about standards of financial management and control in both boards. That is why I am today announcing an inquiry into the financial position in both boards. The inquiry will focus on the financial controls in place in each board and on how each board has discharged its responsibilities, including those responsibilities that fall personally to its designated Accounting Officer.
	Dr. Bill Jack, the former Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland, has agreed to lead this inquiry. I believe that his experience, independence and expertise will ensure a fair and thorough process. To help him in his work, we have decided that this should be a Statutory Inquiry, thus allowing Dr. Jack full powers to access all relevant documentation and information. I envisage that findings from this inquiry will be available very early in the new year.

Education and Library Boards

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) the budgeted expenditure and (b) the actual expenditure out-turn was for each education and library board in each of the last four years.

Barry Gardiner: The available information, taken from the published Statements and Summary of the Education and Library Boards' Accounts for 2000–01, is set out in the table. A number of outstanding issues remain to be resolved with the Comptroller and Auditor General in respect of various Boards' accounts for subsequent years, hence Statements and Summary of the Education and Library Boards' Accounts for those years are not yet available.
	
		£000
		
			  Total allocation Total expenditure 
		
		
			 2000—01   
			 BELB 182,368 (37)184,926 
			 NEELB 225,338 221,650 
			 SEELB 208,816 204,688 
			 SELB 234,995 (38)235,522 
			 WELB 203,591 202,346 
		
	
	(37) The excess of expenditure over allocation relates to an increase in non-teaching pension costs for which a provision has been created during the year.
	(38) The excess of expenditure over allocation relates to capital expenditure and is explained by the fact that, due to the changeover from cash-based to resource-based accounts, the expenditure figures are based on accrued spend whilst the allocation was on a cash basis.

Education and Library Boards

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements he has put in place to ensure good quality financial controls at education and library boards.

Barry Gardiner: In common with all public bodies, education and library boards are expected to have in place robust and effective financial control arrangements. Those arrangements are based on model guidance from the Department of Finance and Personnel and set out in each board's Financial Memorandum. It is also the personal responsibility of chief executives as accounting officers to ensure the effective maintenance and operation of these financial controls and to ensure that approved expenditure is contained within the authorised budget.
	Given the occurrence of overspends in two boards and wider concerns about financial control arrangements, I have decided to commission a wider review of education and library boards' resource budgeting and accounting and financial control, monitoring and reporting arrangements. This review, which has now begun, will run alongside the work I have asked to be undertaken by the South-Eastern and Belfast Boards to tackle the systems and other weaknesses that contributed to the overspends and to their late discovery.

Enviromental Heritage Service

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) facilities and (b) assistance are available at properties under the control of the Environmental Heritage Service in Northern Ireland for the admission of visitors with mental and physical disabilities.

Angela Smith: Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) manages over 250 sites. These include monuments in state care or guardianship, country parks and nature reserves.
	At the major sites, there are visitor centres, at which visitors with mobility difficulties have access to reception and exhibition areas, classrooms, lecture theatres, toilets and cafes. Some stretches of the paths at each country park are accessible to wheelchairs. At some of these sites special facilities have been provided. These include a special trail for the visually impaired at Roe Valley Country Park, mobility scooters at Crawfordsburn and Roe Valley Country Parks, and a narrow-gauge railway at Peatlands Park, which can take people with disabilities. A stair-lift takes visitors to the upper floor of Bellaghy Bawn, and one is planned for the keep at Carrickfergus Castle. A new ferry, capable of taking people with mobility difficulties to the monastic site on Devenish Island, is to be in place by Easter 2005.
	The staff who assist visitors at EHS's most popular sites receive formal training in customer care and disability awareness. Individual tours, tailored to the requirements of visitors with special needs, are provided by educators and tour guides at all major visitor attractions.
	However, given the nature and location of some of the minor EHS properties, it is not possible to provide access to all sites for people with mobility difficulties.
	EHS is carrying out a disability audit of its main priorities to identify any improvements which could be made.

External Terrorism

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to protect the Province from the threat of external terrorism.

Ian Pearson: The Government are committed to the fight against terrorism, whatever its origin. Since the terrorist attacks in the USA on 11 September 2001, the Government and their partners have been completely overhauling arrangements to protect the UK, working both to help prevent terrorist attacks wherever possible, and to minimise the impact of an attack. Northern Ireland is fully involved in that programme where appropriate.

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the prevalence of foetal alcohol syndrome in the Province.

Angela Smith: It is not possible to provide data in the manner requested that will enable a statement on the prevalence of foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in Northern Ireland to be made as there is no database or registry of people in Northern Ireland with FAS.

Glycogen Storage Disease

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the prevalence of glycogen storage disease is in the Province; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The number of patients admitted to hospital in Northern Ireland with a diagnosis of glycogen storage disease is very low. Records held indicate three admissions in 2000–01, no admissions in 2001–02 and one admission in 2002–03.

General Practitioners

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the most common reasons for attending general practitioner surgeries in the Province.

Angela Smith: Information is not collected on the specific reasons why people in Northern Ireland visit their general practitioner surgeries and thus no assessment has been made of the most common reasons.

General Practitioners

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2004, Official Report, column 510W, on general practitioner contract/services, from whom, and in what form he has received representations regarding the implementation of the new general practitioner contract in the Province.

Angela Smith: Representations have been made to the Department in the form of correspondence from the General Practitioners Committee (NI) of the BMA, Members of the Legislative Assembly, the Royal College of Nursing (NI) and a small number of GP practices. A number of PQs have also been raised by hon. Members. Some of these representations have been received since my previous reply to the hon. Lady on this matter on 18 October.
	In addition, the Department has held regular meetings with representatives of the General Practitioners Committee (NI) on matters concerning implementation of the new general practitioner contract.

Hazardous Waste

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to his answers of 27 October 2004, Official Report, columns 1261–62W, on hazardous waste, what assessment has been made of the sources of illegal special waste being dumped in Northern Ireland; if he will list the nature of the special waste being dumped; and what action is being taken to prevent future incidences of the illegal dumping of special waste.

Angela Smith: The majority of special waste illegally deposited is the residual material produced from the illegal laundering of diesel with a small amount (less than 2 per cent.) of waste asbestos accounting for the remainder.
	Given the very nature of the waste and the way in which it is deposited (fly-tipped usually at night), it is difficult to trace the source. In most cases there is insignificant evidence or eye witness accounts to identify the culprit and hence pursue a prosecution.
	The Department carries out a comprehensive programme of audits and inspections of those involved in the movement of special waste, including those producing special waste, the waste carriers and the facilities receiving the waste, to ensure compliance with the regulations. The Department also works closely with other Agencies, sharing information and intelligence.

Hospital Waiting Times

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients and what proportion of relevant patients had to wait (a) up to six months, (b) six to 12 months, (c) 12 to 18 months and (d) more than 18 months for hospital inpatient or day treatment in each of the last four years in (i) Northern Ireland, (ii) each health and social services board area and (iii) each health and social services trust.

Angela Smith: The most recent published waiting list data available shows the position at 30 June 2004. Data in the tables refer to the position at this date in 2004 and at the same date in the previous four years.
	
		(i) Northern Ireland—Number of people waiting for inpatient admission to hospital (includes normalinpatients and day cases)by time waiting
		
			  Patients waiting for Inpatient Admission 
			 Quarter Ending (a) Up to 6 months percentage (b) 6 to 12 months percentage (c) 12 to 18 months percentage (d) More than 18 months percentage Total 
		
		
			 30 June 2000 29616 59 9807 20 4656 9 5916 12 49995 
			 30 June 2001 31655 58 11010 20 5350 10 6877 13 54892 
			 30 June 2002 32596 54 12281 20 6210 10 8864 15 59951 
			 30 June 2003 33670 61 10201 18 4888 9 6655 12 55414 
			 30 June 2004 34242 67 9875 19 3628 7 3230 6 50975 
		
	
	
		(ii) Provider1 Health and Social Services Board Area—Number of people waiting for inpatient admission to hospital (includes normal in patients and day cases) by time waiting
		
			   Patients waiting for Inpatient Admission 
			 Quarter Ending Health Board (a) Up to 6 months percentage (b) 6 to 12 months percentage (c) 12 to 18 months percentage (d) More than 18 months percentage Total 
		
		
			 30 June 2000 Eastern 16850 55 6067 20 3050 10 4790 16 30757 
			  Northern 4491 67 1280 19 629 9 280 4 6680 
			  Southern 4264 59 1420 20 704 10 810 11 7198 
			  Western 4011 75 1040 19 273 5 36 1 5360 
			
			 30 June 2001 Eastern 17818 53 6675 20 3518 11 5380 16 33391 
			  Northern 5033 67 1446 19 646 9 425 6 7550 
			  Southern 4345 55 1632 21 916 12 1021 13 7914 
			  Western 4459 74 1257 21 270 4 51 1 6037 
			
			 30 June 2002 Eastern 17729 51 7181 21 3750 11 6214 18 34874 
			  Northern 5492 59 2063 22 972 10 754 8 9281 
			  Southern 4978 52 1657 17 1069 11 1859 19 9563 
			  Western 4397 71 1380 22 419 7 37 1 6233 
			
			 30 June 2003 Eastern 18278 57 6346 20 3066 10 4455 14 32145 
			  Northern 5677 67 1314 16 640 8 820 10 8451 
			  Southern 5229 59 1470 17 815 9 1304 15 8818 
			  Western 4486 75 1071 18 367 6 76 1 6000 
			
			 30 June 2004 Eastern 19546 65 6094 20 2319 8 2302 8 30261 
			  Northern 4600 75 947 16 370 6 178 3 6095 
			  Southern 5191 63 1595 19 687 8 715 9 8188 
			  Western 4905 76 1239 19 252 4 35 1 6431 
		
	
	(39) Health Board where the patient will be receiving treatment
	
		(iii) Health and Social Services Trust—Number of people waiting for inpatient admission to hospital (includes normal inpatients and day cases) by time waiting
		
			   Patients waiting for Inpatient Admission 
			 Quarter Ending Trust (a) Up to 6 months percentage (b) 6 to 12 months percentage (c) 12 to 18 months percentage (d) More than 18 months percentage Total 
		
		
			 30 June 2000 Mater Infirmorum 1184 79 239 16 68 5 0 0 1491 
			  Belfast City 3093 48 1123 17 756 12 1509 23 6481 
			  Royal Group 6220 54 2754 24 1196 10 1429 12 11599 
			  Green Park 2341 47 1026 21 668 13 948 19 4983 
			  UC&HT 3287 62 854 16 337 6 862 16 5340 
			  Down Lisburn 725 84 71 8 25 3 42 5 863 
			  United 3475 68 996 19 484 9 167 3 5122 
			  Causeway 1016 65 284 18 145 9 113 7 1558 
			  Craigavon Group 3572 57 1242 20 654 10 794 13 6262 
			  Newry & Mourne 692 74 178 19 50 5 16 2 936 
			  Altnagelvin 2716 72 778 21 224 6 32 1 3750 
			  Sperrin Lakeland 1295 80 262 16 49 3 4 0 1610 
			 30 June 2001 Mater Infirmorum 1349 81 193 12 44 3 81 5 1667 
			  Belfast City 3716 49 1418 19 779 10 1681 22 7594 
			  Royal Group 6305 51 2858 23 1478 12 1757 14 12398 
			  Green Park 2286 45 1070 21 750 15 1000 20 5106 
			  UC&HT 3406 59 1040 18 434 8 852 15 5732 
			  Down Lisburn 756 85 96 11 33 4 9 1 894 
			  United 3553 66 1099 20 524 10 226 4 5402 
			  Causeway 1480 69 347 16 122 6 199 9 2148 
			  Craigavon Group 3637 52 1523 22 854 12 990 14 7004 
			  Newry and Mourne 708 78 109 12 62 7 31 3 910 
			  Altnagelvin 2902 72 906 22 184 5 35 1 4027 
			  Sperrin Lakeland 1557 77 351 17 86 4 16 1 2010 
			
			 30 June 2002 Mater Infirmorum 1605 78 303 15 79 4 71 3 2058 
			  Belfast City 3430 46 1281 17 852 12 1842 25 7405 
			  Royal Group 6225 48 3173 24 1467 11 2196 17 13061 
			  Green Park 2358 44 1137 21 735 14 1130 21 5360 
			  UC&HT 3331 55 1141 19 567 9 965 16 6004 
			  Down Lisburn 780 79 146 15 50 5 10 1 986 
			  United 4025 61 1456 22 648 10 424 6 6553 
			  Causeway 1467 54 607 22 324 12 330 12 2728 
			  Craigavon Group 4221 50 1540 18 992 12 1750 21 8503 
			  Newry and Mourne 757 71 117 11 77 7 109 10 1060 
			  Altnagelvin 2678 67 993 25 313 8 33 1 4017 
			  Sperrin Lakeland 1719 78 387 17 106 5 4 0 2216 
			
			 30 June 2003 Mater Infirmorum 1486 79 261 14 112 6 28 1 1887 
			  Belfast City 3821 58 1279 19 598 9 861 13 6559 
			  Royal Group 6176 52 2659 22 1326 11 1755 15 11916 
			  Green Park 2332 48 1104 23 601 12 845 17 4882 
			  UC&HT 3565 60 991 17 416 7 953 16 5925 
			  Down Lisburn 898 92 52 5 13 1 13 1 976 
			  United 4333 70 1036 17 425 7 428 7 6222 
			  Causeway 1344 60 278 12 215 10 392 18 2229 
			  Craigavon Group 4422 58 1293 17 733 10 1230 16 7678 
			  Newry and Mourne 807 71 177 16 82 7 74 6 1140 
			  Altnagelvin 3023 73 793 19 276 7 72 2 4164 
			  Sperrin Lakeland 1463 80 278 15 91 5 4 0 1836 
			
			 30 June 2004 Mater Infirmorum 2017 96 53 3 12 1 14 1 2096 
			  Belfast City 3799 60 1295 20 529 8 708 11 6331 
			  Royal Group 6473 61 2134 20 899 9 1045 10 10551 
			  Green Park 2889 56 1626 31 523 10 147 3 5185 
			  UC&HT 3557 70 811 16 324 6 386 8 5078 
			  Down Lisburn 811 80 175 17 32 3 2 0 1020 
			  United 3829 73 894 17 363 7 177 3 5263 
			  Causeway 771 93 53 6 7 1 1 0 832 
			  Craigavon Group 4530 61 1532 21 647 9 703 9 7412 
			  Newry and Mourne 661 85 63 8 40 5 12 2 776 
			  Altnagelvin 3481 72 1091 22 246 5 35 1 4853 
			  Sperrin Lakeland 1424 90 148 9 6 0 0 0 1578 
		
	
	Note:
	Percentages may not total 100 per cent. due to rounding.

Hospital Waiting Times

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of patients had to wait more than two hours in accident and emergency departments in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) each health and social services board area and (c) each health and social services trust between a clinician's decision to admit and admission to a ward in each year since 2000–01; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The information provided is based on quarterly returns received by the Department from HSS Trusts.
	
		(a) Northern Ireland— Patients waiting more than two hours in Accident and Emergency Departments between a clinician's decision to admit and admission to a ward
		
			  Patients waiting more than twohours for Admission 
			  Number Percentage 
		
		
			 2000–01 10,346 14 
			 2001–02 15,041 19 
			 2002–03 25,131 26 
			 2003–04 29,978 29 
		
	
	
		(b) Provider(40) Health and Social Services Board Area —Patients waiting more than two hours in Accident and Emergency Departments between a clinician's decision to admit and admission to a ward
		
			  Patients waiting more than two hours for admission 
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
			 Health Board Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Eastern 5,843 15 8,441 22 13,367 26 16,666 31 
			 Northern 1,244 8 1,735 11 5,294 28 6,891 35 
			 Southern 2,392 19 3,740 27 4,759 31 4,551 25 
			 Western 867 10 1,125 13 1,711 17 1,870 15 
		
	
	(40) Health Board where the patient receives treatment
	
		(c) Health and Social Services Trust—Patients waiting more than two hours in Accident and Emergency Departmentsbetween a clinician's decision to admit and admission to a ward
		
			  Patients waiting more than two hours for admission 
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
			 Trust Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Royal Group 281 5 531 19 1,503 15 1,981 16 
			 Belfast City 1,173 10 1,712 13 2,245 18 3,076 25 
			 UC and HT 3,293 23 3,991 30 5,805 41 6,461 48 
			 Down Lisburn 772 13 1,108 17 589 8 859 12 
			 Mater Infirmorum 324 46 1,099 38 3,225 43 4,289 59 
			 Causeway 16 3 100 12 1,311 84 2,172 80 
			 United 1,228 8 1,635 11 3,983 23 4,719 28 
			 Craigavon Group 2,349 19 3,717 28 4,702 32 4,462 25 
			 Newry and Mourne 41 7 23 6 57 9 89 13 
			 Armagh and Dungannon 2 2 0 0 — — — — 
			 Altnagelvin 864 17 1,125 21 1,701 29 1,817 24 
			 Sperrin Lakeland 3 0 0 0 10 0 53 1 
		
	
	Note:
	Data for 2003–2004 is provisional and may be subject to change. I have set a target for 2004–05 to reduce the number of patients waiting more than two hours in an A&E department between the clinician's decision to admit and admission to a ward by one third compared to 2003–04 levels.

Hospital Waiting Times

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average waiting time is for each speciality in elective surgery in each (a) health and social services board and (b) health and social services trust; what the equivalent figures for the last three financial years were; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: Waiting list information is collected by time band. It is therefore not possible to calculate the arithmetic mean length of time waiting. It is however possible to identify the median or mid point waiting time band.
	
		(a) Median waiting time band by specialty for each health and social services board
		
			   As at 30 June: 
			 Provider board Specialty 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Eastern Anaesthetics 12–14 6–8 0–2 0–2 
			 Eastern Cardiac Surgery 3–5 3–5 3–5 0–2 
			 Eastern ENT 3–5 3–5 3–5 3–5 
			 Eastern General Surgery 6–8 6–8 3–5 3–5 
			 Eastern Gynaecology 3–5 3–5 3–5 0–2 
			 Eastern Neurosurgery 15–17 15–17 15–17 15–17 
			 Eastern Ophthalmology 3–5 3–5 3–5 3–5 
			 Eastern Oral Surgery 3–5 3–5 3–5 6–8 
			 Eastern Paediatric Dentistry 0–2 3–5 0–2 0–2 
			 Eastern Paediatric Surgery 3–5 3–5 3–5 3–5 
			 Eastern Plastic Surgery 12–14 12–14 9–11 6–8 
			 Eastern Restorative Dentistry 6–8 — 0–2 12–14 
			 Eastern T and O Surgery 6–8 6–8 6–8 3–5 
			 Eastern Thoracic Surgery 3–5 12–14 6–8 3–5 
			 Eastern Urology 3–5 3–5 3–5 3–5 
			 Northern ENT 3–5 6–8 3–5 3–5 
			 Northern General Surgery 3–5 3–5 3–5 0–2 
			 Northern Gynaecology 3–5 3–5 3–5 3–5 
			 Northern Urology 3–5 3–5 3–5 0–2 
			 Southern ENT 3–5 6–8 3–5 3–5 
			 Southern General Surgery 6–8 6–8 3–5 3–5 
			 Southern Gynaecology 0–2 0–2 3–5 0–2 
			 Southern Ophthalmology 6–8 3–5 6–8 3–5 
			 Southern Oral Surgery 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 
			 Southern Urology 6–8 6–8 3–5 6–8 
			 Western ENT 3–5 3–5 3–5 3–5 
			 Western General Surgery 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 
			 Western Gynaecology 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 
			 Western Ophthalmology 3–5 3–5 3–5 3–5 
			 Western Oral Surgery 0–2 3–5 0–2 0–2 
			 Western T and O Surgery 3–5 6–8 3–5 3–5 
			 Western Urology 3–5 3–5 3–5 0–2 
		
	
	
		(b) Median waiting time band by specialty for each health and social services trust
		
			   As at 30 June: 
			 Trust Specialty 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Altnagelvin ENT 3–5 0–2 0–2 6–8 
			 Altnagelvin General Surgery 0–2 3–5 3–5 3–5 
			 Altnagelvin Gynaecology 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 
			 Altnagelvin Ophthalmology 3–5 3–5 3–5 3–5 
			 Altnagelvin Oral Surgery 0–2 3–5 0–2 0–2 
			 Altnagelvin T and O Surgery 3–5 6–8 3–5 3–5 
			 Altnagelvin Urology 3–5 3–5 3–5 0–2 
			 Belfast City Anaesthetics 12–14 6–8 24+ — 
			 Belfast City ENT 3–5 3–5 3–5 3–5 
			 Belfast City General Surgery 12–14 12–14 6–8 6–8 
			 Belfast City Gynaecology 3–5 3–5 3–5 3–5 
			 Belfast City Plastic Surgery — — 6–8 3–5 
			 Belfast City Thoracic Surgery 0–2 0–2 0–2 3–5 
			 Belfast City Urology 3–5 6–8 3–5 3–5 
			 Causeway General Surgery 3–5 6–8 3–5 0–2 
			 Causeway Gynaecology 0–2 3–5 0–2 0–2 
			 Causeway Urology 3–5 3–5 3–5 0–2 
			 Craigavon Group ENT 6–8 6–8 3–5 3–5 
			 Craigavon Group General Surgery 6–8 6–8 3–5 3–5 
			 Craigavon Group Gynaecology 0–2 0–2 3–5 0–2 
			 Craigavon Group Ophthalmology 6–8 3–5 6–8 3–5 
			 Craigavon Group Oral Surgery 0–2 3–5 0–2 0–2 
			 Craigavon Group Urology 6–8 6–8 3–5 6–8 
			 Down Lisburn ENT 0–2 6–8 0–2 0–2 
			 Down Lisburn General Surgery 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 
			 Down Lisburn Gynaecology 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 
			 Down Lisburn Ophthalmology 0–2 0–2 6–8 3–5 
			 Down Lisburn Urology 0–2 3–5 0–2 3–5 
			 Green Park T and O Surgery 6–8 6–8 6–8 3–5 
			 Mater Informorum Anaesthetics 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 
			 Mater Informorum ENT 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 
			 Mater Informorum General Surgery 0–2 3–5 0–2 0–2 
			 Mater Informorum Gynaecology 3–5 6–8 9–11 0–2 
			 Mater Informorum Ophthalmology 3–5 0–2 0–2 0–2 
			 Mater Informorum Oral Surgery — — 0–2 0–2 
			 Mater Informorum Urology 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 
			 Newry and Mourne ENT 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 
			 Newry and Mourne General Surgery 0–2 3–5 0–2 0–2 
			 Newry and Mourne Gynaecology 0–2 3–5 3–5 3–5 
			 Newry and Mourne Oral Surgery 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 
			 Royal Group Cardiac Surgery 3–5 3–5 3–5 0–2 
			 Royal Group ENT 3–5 6–8 3–5 3–5 
			 Royal Group General Surgery 6–8 9–11 9–11 3–5 
			 Royal Group Gynaecology 3–5 6–8 3–5 3–5 
			 Royal Group Neurosurgery 15- 17 15–17 15–17 15–17 
			 Royal Group Ophthalmology 3–5 3–5 3–5 3–5 
			 Royal Group Oral Surgery 3–5 3–5 3–5 6–8 
			 Royal Group Paediatric Dentistry 0–2 3–5 0–2 0–2 
			 Royal Group Paediatric Surgery 3–5 3–5 3–5 3–5 
			 Royal Group Plastic Surgery 18–20 21–23 15–17 12–14 
			 Royal Group T and O Surgery 0–2 6–8 12–14 9–11 
			 Royal Group Thoracic Surgery 3–5 12–14 6–8 3–5 
			 Royal Group Urology 15–17 24+ 24+ 0–2 
			 Sperrin Lakeland ENT 3–5 3–5 3–5 0–2 
			 Sperrin Lakeland General Surgery 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 
			 Sperrin Lakeland Gynaecology 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 
			 UC and HT ENT 3–5 3–5 0–2 0–2 
			 UC and HT General Surgery 3–5 3–5 3–5 3–5 
			 UC and HT Gynaecology 3–5 3–5 0–2 0–2 
			 UC and HT Paediatric Dentistry 3–5 24+ — — 
			 UC and HT Paediatric Surgery 0–2 0–2 0–2 3–5 
			 UC and HT Plastic Surgery 9–11 9–11 6–8 6–8 
			 UC and HT Restorative Dentistry 6–8 — 0–2 12–14 
			 UC and HT T and O Surgery 24+ 24+ 6–8 0–2 
			 UC and HT Urology 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 
			 United ENT 3–5 6–8 3–5 3–5 
			 United General Surgery 3–5 3–5 3–5 0–2 
			 United Gynaecology 3–5 3–5 3–5 3–5 
		
	
	I have set targets for 2004–05 that no patient has to wait more than 18 months for treatment by March 2005, and by no more than 15 months by March 2006.

ICT Consultants

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Department spent on outside information technology and communication specialist consultants and engineers in the 2003–04 financial year.

Ian Pearson: The 11 departments of the Northern Ireland Administration and the Northern Ireland Office spent £1,961,593 on information and communication technology consultants and engineers in the 2003–04 financial year.
	This investment was made to provide expertise and/or resource that was not available within the internal ICT resource.
	The figure provided relates to specific ICT consultancy engagements. It does not include on-going and planned contractual arrangements between NI Departments and the private sector for operational ICT systems and services.

Intellectual Property

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to combat intellectual property crime in the last three years.

Ian Pearson: The Police Service of Northern Ireland have had significant success in disrupting and frustrating those criminal networks involved in intellectual property crime and from 2002 have seized approximately £18 million of counterfeit and pirated goods. That important enforcement work is continuing.
	Under the umbrella of the Organised Crime Task Force, the PSNI continue to work in partnership with industry and brand holders to identify illicit product, improve understanding of the scope of trademark and copyright law and to raise public awareness of the risks associated with the purchase of counterfeit goods.

Juvenile Justice Centre

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the required notice period is for Commissioners of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to visit the Juvenile Justice Centre; whether they are allowed (a) unrestricted and (b) private access to young people at the centre; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: There is no prescribed period of notice required for Commissioners of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to visit the Juvenile Justice Centre and the degree of access to the young people in the centre would be commensurate with the accessed level of risk and subject to the consent of the young people and their parents.

Juvenile Justice Centre

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the methods of restraint used in controlling young offenders at the Juvenile Justice Centre have recently been reviewed.

John Spellar: This is an operational responsibility of the chief executive of the Youth Justice Agency of Northern Ireland (Bill Lockhart). He has advised me that the Director of the Juvenile Justice Centre has been invited to take part in a United Kingdom review on the use of restraint methods and will be meeting with colleagues across the UK to undertake this task.

Learning Disability

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how the health concerns of those with learning difficulties are represented in health equity audits in the Province.

Angela Smith: In Northern Ireland means other than health equality audits are used to assess the needs of people with learning disabilities, including specially commissioned research, engagement with relevant non-government organisations, consultations on new policies as they are being developed, and equality screening and equality impact assessments carried out on existing and emerging policies.
	The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety is currently implementing a strategy to develop community learning disability services to resettle long-stay hospital patients, prevent inappropriate hospital admissions and re-admissions, and focus hospital services on assessment and acute short-term treatment. The Independent Review of Mental Health and Learning Disability (NI) will shape policy and service development over the next 10 to 15 years. The report of this review is expected to be submitted to the Department early in the new year. This will contain a number of recommendations to address the particular health needs of people with a learning disability.

Mental Health

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of health and personal social services funding was spent on mental health services in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The information requested is as follows:
	
		Percentage of health and personal social services funds spent on mental health services in Northern Ireland
		
			 Year end March Mental health spend as percentage of total 
		
		
			 1999 9.2 
			 2000 9.0 
			 2001 8.8 
			 2002 8.6 
			 2003 7.8

MRI Scanning

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on provision of MRI scanning in the Province; and what improvements are planned to such provision.

Angela Smith: There are currently nine MRI scanners available across the province: one each at Altnagelvin, Antrim, Belfast City, Belvoir Park, Craigavon Area, Royal, and Ulster hospitals and two at Musgrave Park hospital.
	The new imaging centre at the Royal group of hospitals will incorporate a further MRI scanner. It is intended that this will be fully operational from April 2006. The Regional Cancer Centre at Belfast City hospital, due to open in early 2006, will also incorporate an MRI scanner.

MRSA

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the products used within the Province's health service to try to eradicate MRSA.

Angela Smith: Health and Personal Social Services organisations use the following products for the management of MRSA:
	
		
			 Products used for environmental and equipment decontamination Products for hand decontamination Products for eradication of MRSA carriage in colonised patients 
		
		
			 Detergent and water Liquid soap CX powder 
			 Cream cleanser Antiseptic skin cleanser Corsodyl throat spray 
			 Buffered hypochlorite Alcohol hand rub Mupirocin (Bactroban) 
			 70 per cent. alcohol — Tricolasan 2 per cent., 0.3 per cent. (paediatrics) 
			 Cidex OPA  0.55 per cent. — Hibiscrub antiseptic cleanser 
			 — — Fucidin with polyfax 
			 — — Aquasept skin cleanser 
			 — — Chlorhexidine washes 
		
	
	For the treatment of MRSA infection, antibiotics would be prescribed as appropriate.

Organic Foodstuffs

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assistance is being offered to those engaged in the (a) growing and (b) distribution of organic foodstuffs in Northern Ireland.

Ian Pearson: The Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) delivered by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development provides financial support to farmers during the period when they are converting their farm business from conventional to organic production. The scheme has played a valuable role in assisting some 75 producers to convert their farm business to help meet consumer demand for organic produce.
	The Organic Farming Scheme is complemented by the Organic Farming (Conversion of Animal Housing) Scheme, which opened in December 2003. The Organic Housing Scheme provides a total of £2 million to assist organic livestock producers to convert existing animal housing to comply with organic standards.
	An organic conversion information service is also available to all producers in Northern Ireland. Growers and farmers can avail of short courses provided by Greenmount Campus, College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise. Assistance with conversion planning and sector specific production issues is also available.
	The Department is also seeking to establish an independently chaired Organic Lead Group, as per the first recommendation of the action plan published in "Organic Farming in Northern Ireland: A Development Strategy". This group, the membership of which will be drawn from the local organic sector, will facilitate the growth of the local organic sector and give strategic direction across a range of issues, including the production and distribution of organic produce.

Organised Crime

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on organised crime in Northern Ireland.

Ian Pearson: The levels of organised criminality remain unacceptably high in Northern Ireland. The Organised Crime Task Force Threat Assessment, which was published on 11 May 2004, indicated that approximately 235 organised criminal gangs operate in Northern Ireland.
	The partner agencies of the task force continue to have significant success against organised criminal gangs. Every seizure, arrest and conviction further disrupts and frustrates the efforts of organised criminal gangs and I pay tribute to PSNI, Customs and the Assets Recovery Agency for their on-going effectiveness and commitment to tackle this problem.

Organised Crime

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement regarding the Northern Ireland Organised Crime Task Force.

Ian Pearson: The Organised Crime Task Force provides the strategic framework for the law enforcement agencies to share views on intelligence flows and operational details, and to agree priorities for tackling organised crime in Northern Ireland.
	The task force is actively engaged with over 40 agencies and has formed significant links with the private sector to develop new initiatives in response to specific crime types. This is a clear example of effective partnership working at a local level.

Planning Service

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many full-time planning service employees there have been in each of the last 15 years.

Angela Smith: The information in relation to full time employees is only available for the period from 1996 when the Planning Service became an Agency of the Department of the Environment. It is set out as follows.
	
		
			 Financial year Number of full-time staff in Planning Service 
		
		
			 1996–97 366 
			 1997–98 363 
			 1998–99 364 
			 1999–2000 376 
			 2000–01 420 
			 2001–02 474 
			 2002–03 524 
			 2003–04 583 
			 2004–05 645

Parades

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he next intends to carry out a review of the regulatory framework for parades.

Ian Pearson: The Government are currently reviewing the existing regulatory framework and will publish proposals shortly.

Psychiatric Beds

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 25 October 2004, Official Report, column 1072W, on psychiatric beds, in what periods, since the number of child and adolescent psychiatry inpatient beds has been increased to its present level, it was not possible to operate on full bed occupancy as the result of insufficient staff being available.

Angela Smith: Since the number of adolescent psychiatric beds was increased in August 2002, the period in which it has not been possible to operate on full bed occupancy as the result of insufficient staff being available is from August 2004 to the present.

Smoking

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many recent representations he has received from groups and individuals seeking a ban on smoking in public places; who they were from; and in what form they were received.

Angela Smith: Since 1 January 2004, 17 representations have been received in support of a ban on smoking in public places, all in written form. A breakdown of the source of the representations is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Category Number 
		
		
			 Political representatives 4 
			 Health professionals 2 
			 Local councils 4 
			 Voluntary organisations 3 
			 Statutory consultative bodies 1 
			 General public 3

Smoking

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research he has evaluated into a putative link between passive smoking and cot death.

Angela Smith: United Kingdom and international research in this area links both prenatal maternal smoking and children's exposure to second-hand smoke (passive smoking) to a range of conditions including sudden infant death syndrome. However, the relative impact on the foetus of maternal smoking in pregnancy, and the infant through subsequent exposure to second-hand smoke remains unclear.